This year’s celebration in Times Square for the arrival of 2026 is set to dazzle with a patriotic twist, as the iconic crystal ball will illuminate in vibrant red, white, and blue hues. This colorful display will not only mark the beginning of the new year but also commence the festivities for the United States’ 250th birthday.

In a nod to this significant milestone, a second confetti drop is scheduled for 12:04 a.m. on New Year’s Day, as revealed by America250 chair Rosie Rios during an interview with Fox News. This will be an addition to the traditional midnight spectacle, which draws a massive crowd to Times Square each year.

Known as one of the most watched and attended New Year’s Eve events globally, the Times Square ball drop captivates up to a million spectators braving the cold to witness the countdown live.

In a historic twist, a second ball drop event is planned for July 3, the night before America’s birthday. As Rios noted, this unique celebration will replicate the grandeur that Times Square is famous for, marking the first non-New Year’s Eve ball drop in its 120-year history.

It will mark the first time in 120 years there will be ball drop in Times Square that doesn’t occur on New Year’s Eve, she said.

America250, One Times Square, and Times Square Alliance Reveal Ball Designed in Honor of Nation’s Semiquincentennial Year (AP)

The celebration will come ahead of months of big and small events to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

“I’m telling you right now, whatever you’re imagining, it’s going to be much more than that,” said America250 Chair Rosie Rios, who oversees the bipartisan commission created by Congress in 2016 to organize the semiquincentennial anniversary, told The Associated Press. “It’s going to be one for the ages, the most inspirational celebration this country and maybe the world has ever seen.”

The group worked with the Times Square Alliance business district and One Times Square, the building from where the ball is dropped, to make the changes to this year’s ceremonies. 

A patriotic crystal ball will be used for the New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square to usher in 2026, months ahead of America’s 250th birthday.   (AP)

The ball drop has occurred in Times Square nearly every year since 1907. The only years when no ball drop occurred were 1942 and 1943, when New York City instituted a nightly “dimout” during World War II to protect itself from attacks. 

In addition to the ball drop, America Gives, a national service initiative created by America250, which launch at the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1. 

American250 will participate in the New Years Day Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, with a float themed “Soaring Onward Together for 250 Years.”

President Donald Trump has also announced the “Freedom 250” initiative to coordinate additional events for the 250th anniversary.

Rios said a wide range of celebrations and programs are planned next year to commemorate America’s birthday, ranging from large fireworks displays and statewide potluck suppers to student contests and citizen oral histories. 

The events, she said, are an opportunity to unite a politically divided nation.

“If we can find something for everyone … having those menus of options that people can pick and choose how they want to participate,” she told the AP. “That’s how we’re going to get to engaging 350 million Americans.”