Which New Year's Eve celebration in New York City uses a crystal ball covered with Waterford crystal panels?
Answer
Times Square Ball Drop
The New York City New Year’s Eve celebration using a ball covered with Waterford crystal panels is the Times Square Ball Drop.
The modern Times Square Ball has been designed with Waterford Crystal panels since 2000. Its illuminated descent takes place at One Times Square during the final minute before midnight, becoming the visual centerpiece of the annual celebration in New York City.
The crystal panels have changed in design over the years, and the ball has been upgraded with energy-efficient LED lighting and computer-controlled color effects. The current ball is much larger and more technologically advanced than the original 1907 ball, which was made from iron and wood.
Waterford Crystal is an Irish crystal manufacturer based in Waterford, Ireland. The partnership is one reason the Times Square event is sometimes described as a crystal-ball celebration, but the ball is not a hand-sized fortune-telling object. It is a large illuminated structure lowered from the roof of One Times Square.