Novato welcomed the new year with 19,000 bouncy balls in a midday celebration downtown.
The annual “Bouncy Ball New Year” event is organized by the Downtown Novato Business Association. Firefighters dropped the balls from 40 feet at noon on Tuesday at the intersection of Machin and Sweetser avenues.
“It’s a great way for the community to come together and celebrate the new year in a really exciting way,” Novato Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Lynne Osgood said. “We are a part of our community as well as the businesses and we try to support them as much as possible.”
Aniya Oyobio, 6, left, and her cousin Cameo Oyobio, also 6, wait for the bouncy ball drop in Novato, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal)
Families wait for the clock to strike noon at the annual "Bouncy Ball New Year" event in Novato, Calif. on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal)
Emily Pasillas of San Rafael holds her 2-year-old daughter Olive as they wait for 24,000 balls to drop at the annual "Bouncy Ball New Year" event in Novato, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal)
Rob Sundberg serves as the master of ceremonies during the annual "Bouncy Ball New Year" event in Novato, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal)
Thousands of bouncy balls drop from the Novato Fire Protection District's ladder truck as the clock struck noon during the annual "Bouncy Ball New Year" event in Novato, Calif. on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal)
Kids scramble to collect some of the thousands of bouncy balls dropped as the clock struck noon at Novato's annual "Bouncy Ball New Year" event on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal)
Kids scramble to collect some of the thousands of bouncy balls dropped as the clock struck noon at Novato's annual "Bouncy Ball New Year" event on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal)
Bouncy balls occupy a bucket during the annual "Bouncy Ball New Year" event in Novato, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal)
The Novato Fire Protection District's ladder truck gets set to drop thousands of bouncy balls for the annual "Bouncy Ball New Year" in Novato, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal)
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Aniya Oyobio, 6, left, and her cousin Cameo Oyobio, also 6, wait for the bouncy ball drop in Novato, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal)
Children received free hard hats before racing to collect the balls. Stephanie Koehler, executive director of the business association, said the event is a way to include children in what is typically an adult-centered holiday.
Koehler said the idea was to drop 25,000 balls to represent the year, but the weight of the balls required organizers to stop at 19,000. The idea originated when she worked at a science museum and prepared a “science of toys” exhibit during the holiday season.
The event cost about $2,400, with help from local sponsors, she said.
Mayor Tim O’Connor performed the countdown to noon. He said he has been bringing his children to the event for years.
“The bouncy ball event is a wonderful annual tradition which many members of our community look forward to each year,” O’Connor said. “The DNBA does a wonderful job of organizing fun activities year-round and this is a wonderful, family-friendly way to see out the year.”
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