Monroeville Public Library organizes early welcome to 2023

As the time neared 12 o’clock, the countdown started, wrapping up with a resounding:

“Happy New Year!”

And then the folks who attended the Dec. 31 celebration at Monroeville Mall headed out into the daylight.

Monroeville Public Library’s annual Noon Ball Drop had a new venue this year, with plenty of people gathered to celebrate the start of 2023 a bit early. The event previously took place in the children’s library, but its growth in popularity prompted a move.

“We call it: ‘If you can’t stay up until midnight, come join us,’” Alice Rathjen, the library’s head of public relations, said. “Everyone was having such a great time, but the library is only so big, and we’re fortunate to have the Monroeville Mall say to us, come on over!”

Library staff members and volunteers handed out party hats and noisemakers for the festivities, and even if some of the younger participants didn’t quite understand what was occurring, they enjoyed the celebration, regardless.

A highlight was the lowering of a silver disco ball, operated by Rathjen’s husband, Rich, and son, Jere. They built a device for the purpose and tested it on the Wednesday prior to the event before safely and successfully on New Year’s Eve.

“It went off very, very well,” Alice Rathjen said. “You could see the excitement in the children’s eyes just watching it. And the parents were delighted, as well.”

Plans are to return to the mall for a similarly early welcome to 2024.