The Drop, Motor City NYE, to Return for Seventh Year in Detroit

The Drop, Motor City NYE 2017, will once again illuminate the Detroit skyline Saturday, December 31. Inspired by New Year's Eve celebrations around the world, The Drop is a free urban celebration, which will convene Detroiters and visitors far and wide for the chance to ring in 2017 together. The outdoor event will be held from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. in Campus Martius and Cadillac Square.

"We're expecting this year's celebration to be bigger and better than ever," said Jerrid Mooney, co-founder of Motor City NYE. "Because New Year's Eve falls on a Saturday this year, it's a great excuse to stay downtown and enjoy everything the city has to offer, including The Drop."

The highlight of The Drop, Motor City NYE is a unique Detroit-themed ball drop. A grand 7-foot glittering "D" mounted on an 8-foot glowing sphere will descend, not once, but twice during the event. The "D" will drop once for children and families - the Kids' Drop - at 6:30 p.m., and again for the main event, just seconds before midnight.

The Drop, Motor City NYE starts at 4 p.m., well before the countdown to the New Year begins. Campus Martius and Cadillac Square will be enlivened with live music and a plethora of activities and games. Guests can enjoy warm food, cold refreshments, and cocktails (21+) prepared by local food trucks and restaurants.

From 4-7 p.m., The Drop will also feature an all-inclusive Kids' Zone, showcasing popular family-friendly acts, such as Cirque Among Us, the Detroit Youth Choir, John Davis (The VIBE Man), and a magician who will engage and entertain audiences. Kids can enjoy bounce houses, face painting and a variety of jungle gym activities. There is no fee to enter the event.

Need to warm up? Guests can gather around wood burning warming stations positioned throughout the event, or take shelter inside a massive 17,000-square-foot heated and carpeted structure called the Party Pavilion in Cadillac Square. Here, another stage will showcase entertainment and live music fit for families until the Kids' Drop at 6:30 p.m.concludes the family fun.

Starting at 7 p.m., The Drop will feature performances by Detroit's hottest bands, including Angela Davis Band, JUKEBOXX, Pato Motown Band, Motor City Groove, the Luther Keith Blues Band and more who will light up the main stage. DJ Ryan Richards will also drop beats all night long from the main stage, keeping Detroit's largest outdoor NYE party hopping until 1 a.m.

Not a fan of chilly temperatures? Purchase a ticket to the second-annual Motown Countdown, which takes place right in the center of the action. Guests can take in clear views of the Detroit skyline and The Drop from the comforts of the 17,000 square-foot carpeted, heated Party Pavilion. The price of admission includes live performances by the Weekend Comeback, DJ Ryan Richards, plus additional DJs, entertainment, and dancing. A premium bar (eight drink tickets), the SKYY Vodka Specialty Martini Bar, a reserved viewing area, party favors, midnightChampagne stations and pizza, private heated executive restrooms, and access to the main event outside are also included.

For more information on The Drop, Motor City NYE, or to purchase tickets to the Motown Countdown, visit www.MotorCityNYE.com or call 313-355-0413. Find MCNYE on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MCNYE, or Twitter at www.twitter.com/motorcitynye. This year's event will support The Community Health and Social Services (CHASS), in southwest Detroit. For more information, go to www.chasscenter.org.

Reach millions of metro-Detroiters. Sponsorships, including naming rights, for Detroit's largest and most widely anticipated New Year's Eve event, The Drop, Motor City NYE, are still available. More information is available by calling Matt Flynn at 248-202-4662, or by emailing matt@ultimatefunproductions.com.

The Community Health and Social Services (CHASS) is a community-based, not for profit organization formed to develop, promote, and provide comprehensive, accessible and affordable quality primary health care and support services to all residents of the community, with special emphasis on the underserved African-American and Latino population. CHASS is committed to the overall well being of the community.

Founded in 2009 by Detroit business owner Tony Piraino and Detroit resident Jerrid Mooney, Motor City New Year's Eve was conceived to become a major community event, showcasing the center of Detroit with the metropolitan area and beyond. The free family-friendly event by day, and festive gathering for adults at night, grew annually with support from Detroit-based businesses, such as Opportunity Detroit and Meridian Health. Looking to take the event to new heights, Piraino and Mooney partnered with Michigan-based event producers Ultimate Fun Productions and The Social Connection in 2013. Motor City New Year's Eve has since grown to become Detroit's largest and most publicized New Year's Eve event, drawing up to 25,000 revelers in 2015. Mooney, Ultimate Fun Productions and The Social Connection have continued to grow Motor City New Year's Eve. For more information, or to inquire about sponsorships, visit www.MotorCityNYE.com or call 313-355-0413.

Ultimate Fun Productions produces multiple events throughout Michigan that are known to sell out with a combined attendance of more than 150,000 people each year, including Whiskey Business, Sip Savor Stomp, OktoBEERfest, Detroit Detour, Detroit Summer Beer Fest, Royal Oak Beer Fest, Tequila Mundo, Detroit Craft Beer Month, Grand Rapids Beer Fest, Bacon Bash, Metro Detroit Taste Fest, Burger Bash, Great Lakes Food Art & Music Festival, Vodka Rox, Mac N Brews, Motor City Music & Food Fest, Cinco Bash, Michigan Rib Fest, Opening Day in the D, Indulgence, and New Year's Eve events including The Drop, Motor City NYE, Motor City Gala, and Motown Countdown. Additionally, Ultimate Fun produces and promotes multiple bar crawls and fun runs, plus several events at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac, such as M1 Cruisefest and CartoBEERfest. Having spent the past five years cultivating a relationship with the Detroit 300 Conservancy and Campus Martius Parks, UFP has created a series of events, including The Big Game Rally, Parktoberfest, Capitol Park Summer Saturday Night & Sunday Brunch with four consecutive weekend events, and five Winter Magic Weekends. For further information, visit UltimateFunProductions.com.

The Social Connection has been metro Detroit's premier lifestyle event production and marketing company since 2001. Hosting dozens of annual events with more than 20,000 guests per year, The Social Connection produces and markets unique social, food and beverage sampling, charitable and destination events, including: Detroit Burger & Brews Bash, Bacon Bash, Indulgence, Mac 'n' Brews, The Cocktail Confidential, Metro Detroit Tastefest, Detroit Beer & Wine Fest, The Little Black Dress Charity Soiree, Motor City Gears & Beers, Santa Pub Crawl and OktoBEERfest, to name a few. The Detroit Party division offers more 4,000 riders a year a fun, safe and hassle free way to travel to Opening Day, the MSU-U of M Game and Tigers Games. Since 2001, The Social Connection developed its marquee presence in southeastern Michigan on New Year's Eve by hosting more than 40 New Year's Eve events since inception, expanding its brand to NYEdetroit.com, which has become the premier marketing and production arm for all things New Year's Eve in metro Detroit. For more information, visit www.TheSocialConnection.com.