Maybe holding off the New Year’s celebration wasn’t such a bad idea at all.
The traditional Manteo New Year’s Eve party was postponed for a day because of weather and it turned out very nicely.
The party today ran from 4:00-7:00 p.m. and what was particularly nice about having everything happen earlier in the day was the family atmosphere that seemed to be everywhere. There certainly seemed to be more kids on hand this year than is typical and it had to be because all the celebrations were so much earlier.
Of course, some of the traditional parts of the Manteo New Year’s Eve celebration was lost when things had to be rescheduled. The bands that were scheduled to play had to cancel and there was also some additional entertainment that had been part of the original plan that also cancelled.
We should also note that Manteo always tries as hard as possible to include family events earlier in the day for the kids, included an 8:00 p.m. ball drop countdown.
It’s just not the same as fire works, though, and that seemed to be what brought so many families to the waterfront.
Even though the live entertainment was cancelled, as well as the other activities, there was still plenty to do, especially for the kids. There was a roaring fire with what appeared to be an unlimited supply of marshmallows for roasting. Lighted hula hoops and plenty of games made things fun for the kids…which made it fun for everyone.
The food trucks were on hand, and they seemed to be doing a very brisk business—an indication, no doubt, of just how many people were on hand.
Big kudos to the town and whoever put on the fireworks display. It was a great job and a wonderful way to welcome the New Year.
Happy New Year from Brindley Beach Vacations and may 2023 bring you joy and contentment.