Pensacola CRA: Pelican Drop rings in 2011
Phaedra Harris was ready to ring in 2011 with a hoot and a holler.
Strolling down Palafox Street on Friday evening, the 16-year-old Pensacola resident listed her Pelican Drop plans: enjoy some barbecue, find a good spot to watch the drop, then call family and friends to shriek, “Happy New Year!”
The scheme wasn’t without risk.
“I lost my voice last year,” Phaedra admitted, grinning. “Once those fireworks started going off, I called everyone I could think of and screamed in their ears. It was exciting.”
Related
* Pensacola Pelican Drop (early evening)
* The New Year Pelican
* New Year’s Eve Downtown
In spite of the cool, foggy weather, the teen was among dozens of early birds at the downtown celebration. The third annual New Year’s Eve street party, which began at 5 p.m., featured a children’s area, vendors and live music. Several Palafox Street businesses, including Jordan Valley Café, New York Nick’s and Intermission, enjoyed a steady stream of customers.
All kept an eye on the darkening sky.
Dangling from a tall crane next to Plaza Ferdinand, the 13-foot-tall silver-colored pelican waited for its midnight flight.
“It looks really cool!” Melisa Dees, 44, of Pensacola, exclaimed, gazing up at the sculpture. “This is my first time celebrating New Year’s downtown, and I can’t wait to see it all lit up.”
Leslie Allen and her sons, Dujuan Urquhart, 11, and Jamil Urquhart, 9, were eager to see the Pelican Drop, as well.
“We just moved here this year, so this is new to us,” Allen explained, as her sons fidgeted on the sidewalk. “We wanted to see what it was all about.”
And as occasional rain drops fell, organizers weren’t worried about the big bird getting its metal feathers wet. Becky Bray, administrator of the Community Redevelopment Agency, which sponsors the annual Pelican Drop, described the shiny icon as waterproof.
“It flies, rain or shine,” she said. “People can’t wait to see the pelican.”
Pensacola CRA: Pelican Drop rings in 2011
As the countdown drew closer, the crowds kept growing.
Wearing blinking bunny ears and neon necklaces, Deb Miller boogied to the R&B hits of Groove Control on the main stage, just under the glittering pelican.
“2011 is going to be a better year,” the 42-year-old Pensacola resident said, hip-bumping her boyfriend to the thumping bass rhythm. “We’re ringing it in, right.”
Bray, who hoped the New Year’s Eve event would draw about 50,000 attendees, was pleased to see downtown Pensacola buzzing.
“We want to stimulate the permanent businesses by bringing in the crowds,” she said. “Every year, it gets bigger and better.”