Which New Year’s Eve event in New York City famously releases confetti over Times Square at midnight?

The Times Square Ball Drop is the New Year’s Eve event that releases confetti over Times Square at midnight.

During the ceremony, a time ball descends from One Times Square during the final minute of the year. When it reaches the bottom at midnight, celebrants cheer and thousands of pounds of confetti are released across the square. The event is watched in person and through extensive television coverage.

The first ball descent took place on December 31, 1907, organized by newspaper publisher Adolph Ochs as a replacement for fireworks. The ball has changed design and technology repeatedly, progressing from an iron-and-wood sphere with incandescent lamps to an illuminated crystal-covered ball.

Confetti is a separate part of the celebration from the descending ball. The ball drop is also not the name of the building involved: One Times Square is the tower from which the ball descends, while “Times Square Ball Drop” is the event’s standard name.