City of Rochester prepares for New Years

The city of Rochester has less than three days to prepare for New Year’s Eve.

“It gets pretty wild down here,” said Tom Parise, a parking attendant.

“Its going to be a very big event wherever you go," said Eddie Aro.

Aro manages a bar called “The Bar” on East Avenue. He says plans for New Year’s Eve have been in the works since Thanksgiving, and he expects a packed house.

“Lines will be out the door,” Aro said. “We will try to get as many people in here as possible.”

He expects more than a thousand people to stop in to celebrate. And that means they’ll be calling in some backup help and tightening security.

“The security is going to be at full staff,” Aro said. “We have a number of bouncers who have been with us and theyll be here celebrating with their families.”

There will be plenty of other activities downtown too. Starting at 10 o’clock Monday night, the Riverside Convention Center will host live entertainment. The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Brass Quintet will be kicking off the performances.

And at the stroke of midnight, fireworks will light the sky along the Main Street Bridge.

“Im looking forward to the community, just everyone coming out and having a good time,” said Angelo Gentile, a resident of Rochester.

And to do that, you may want to think about parking before you come downtown. The city is offering free parking at city-owned garages and meters, but on the street parking could be slim pickings.

“Everyones in a hurry to get parking, and they want to make that last minute before 12 oclock,” Parise said.