HELENA — New Year’s Eve celebrations in Helena may not look like the traditional ball drop, but rather hundreds of balloons marking the start of the new year in countries across the world.
“I am overwhelmed but also pretty excited,” Mariah Lewis said.
While some wait for the clock to strike midnight at The Lewis and Clark Library, others waited for the clock to hit noon for their Noon Year’s Eve celebration.
“The idea of celebrating at noon and being able to celebrate with the whole family and then going to bed on time is kind of fun,” Molly Hudson, the children's services librarian, said.
This year, over seven hundred balloons were dropped, and Helena’s youngest residents had the chance to reflect on the past year and make a wish for the new year.
Lewis said, “I think my favorite thing this year was my dance.”
Over at ExplorationWorks, each hour, they celebrated the new year with a disco ball drop marking the transition to midnight in a different country.
“It is a really fun family-friendly way to be able to have all of the glitz and glam of New Year's in a family-friendly safe space,” Sara O’Reilly, the program director at ExplorationWorks, said.
From Bangladesh to Madagascar, the community gathered to learn more about each culture's traditions.
O’Reilly said, “Really, we live in a global society, and I think it is really fun to be able to inject that oh, wait, they celebrate the new year in other places too.”
Kiddos also had the chance to write a wish and drop it into a fire for good luck and make resolutions for 2026.
Kids like Hawkins Jetty, who wants to continue karate in 2026, and “I want to become skilled at piano.”
