Overview
- At about 12:04 a.m. on Jan. 1, the ball will glow in a red, white and blue America250 design, accompany a new “America Turns 250” video, release 2,000 pounds of confetti, and conclude with pyrotechnics set to Ray Charles’ “America the Beautiful.”
- Organizers plan a second Times Square Ball Drop on July 3, 2026, marking the first time the tradition is used outside New Year’s Eve in its 120-year history, though city officials say details are still being worked out.
- America250, the congressionally designated group leading the semiquincentennial, is partnering with One Times Square and the Times Square Alliance to stage the events.
- The kickoff also includes the launch of America Gives at the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1 and America250’s participation in the New Year’s Day Rose Parade in Pasadena.
- Separate from America250’s nonpartisan plans, President Donald Trump has announced a Freedom 250 initiative to coordinate additional 250th anniversary events.