With just days to go before the world rings in a new year — and new decade — Tom Brennan, master artisan with Fiskars, a division of Waterford, is hard at work to make sure the famed crystal ball in Times Square is ready to dazzle revelers at the stroke of midnight on January 1.
"This is the only moment in time that everybody pauses for just a moment," Brennan told Cheddar on Friday while standing next to the pièce de résistance. "We don't do this other times of the year."
A team of engineers is installing 192 new Waterford crystal triangles on the ball that features this year's unique design, which Waterford is calling "Gift of Goodwill," the latest in its "Greatest Gifts" series.
The new crystals will make up just a fraction of the 2,688 triangles on the ball, which measures 12 feet across and weighs nearly six tons.
The New Year's tradition has been going on in Times Square, the crossroads of the world, since 1904, and the first ball drop happened in 1907.
Brennan stresses that it's not just him, or the team on the ground in New York that pulls off this global feat. "It is a global togetherness," he said. Waterford has craftsmen working on the project in its factories in Ireland, plus the engineers and marketers.
"It's amazing to think that this small city in the southeast of Ireland with just 47,000 people are here on top of the world. We're going to have 1.2 billion people watching us in just a few days' time, so no pressure."
Catching you up on today’s entertainment headlines with the Grammys announcing new categories to be added to the awards show, Johnny Depp and Jeff Beck planning to release an album together, Britney Spears' ex-husband crashing her wedding, and more.
Erika Alexander and Whitney Dow, directors of 'The Big Payback,' join Cheddar News to discuss their new film, 'The Big Payback.' It premieres Saturday, June 11 at the Tribeca Festival.
'Pride Portraits' is a trans-led organization aiming to visually represent the LGBTQ+ community one photograph at a time. Eden Rose Torres, founder and president of Pride Portraits, joins Cheddar News to discuss its participants and the issues the LGBTQ+ community still faces.
The 75th Annual Tony Awards will take place on Sunday, June 12. Cheddar News takes a closer look at who's nominated and what audiences can expect from the ceremony.
On this episode of ChedHER: Global VP of LinkedIn Sales Solutions explains how she leads a 1,000+ person team for LinkedIn's $1 billion business, and gives advice for determining your own unique leadership style; Chief Sales Officer at Xometry, joins ChedHER breaks down why women should consider careers in manufacturing, and what opportunities are available for them in this industry; Founder of Pride Live & Stonewall Day, joins ChedHER talks about the mission and story behind Pride Live, and what to expect from this year's Stonewall Day.
Kathy Mayerhofer, Chief Sales Officer at Xometry, joins ChedHER to discuss why women should consider careers in manufacturing, and what opportunities are available for them in this industry.
Alyssa Merwin, Global VP of LinkedIn Sales Solutions, joins ChedHER to discuss how she leads a 1,000+ person team for LinkedIn's $1 billion business, and gives advice for determining your own unique leadership style.
Diana Rodriguez, Founder of Pride Live & Stonewall Day, joins ChedHER to discuss the mission and story behind Pride Live, and what to expect from this year's Stonewall Day.
Amanda Jones is the TikToker behind the “healthy Coke” recipe. In her viral post, she shared a concoction of balsamic vinegar and La Croix, allegedly something she learned from her pilates instructor and claimed it tastes just like Coca-Cola — only healthier. Jones joined Cheddar News and walked Hena Doba and Ken Buffa through the unusual recipe to have a taste for themselves.
Lower Manhattan's iconic Stone Street is getting a bubbly makeover. Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte will be 'unleashing the bubbles' throughout the month of June in New York City, with themed events, bubble ball pits, and special menu and drink experiences. Anne-Laure Domenichini, director of communications for Champagne Nicholas Feuillatte, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
