The special Times Square America250 ball drop honored eight U.S. time zones.
The one-off event was designed as a countdown to July 4, 2026, rather than as a normal New Year’s Eve celebration. The Times Square ball was lowered repeatedly so that midnight could be marked across the United States and its territories in a sequence of time-zone moments.
The earliest drop occurred at 10 a.m. Eastern Time for the Chamorro Time Zone, which includes Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. A highlighted drop took place at midnight Eastern Time, and the final one occurred at 7 a.m. Eastern Time the following morning for the Samoa Time Zone, including American Samoa.
The number eight refers to the time zones honored by the event, not the number of times the ball was lowered in one location. The repeated drops adapted a familiar New Year’s Eve symbol to a nationwide anniversary countdown.