LANCASTER, Pa. — The City of Lancaster announced it will not ring in the New Year with a Red Rose Drop later this month, and said the event will not be held again "for the foreseeable future."
The city's Office of Promotion said Thursday that it will no longer host the event.
"This decision will allow our team to more strategically allocate our limited resources to events that are longer in duration and attract larger crowds of all ages," spokesperson Amber Strazzo Righter wrote on the city's official website.
Lancaster hosted the first Red Rose Drop in 1993. It was an annual event until the COVID-19 pandemic forced the city to cancel it in 2020 and 2021. It returned last year, to a diminished crowd.
In a follow-up email, Strazzo Righter said past New Year's Even events typically cost the city between $25,000 and $30,000, most of which came through fundraising and sponsorships.
"This year we were able to not only save money, but the resources that were reallocated had a greater community impact with efforts and funds spread amongst the entire holiday line up including the Mayor’s Tree Lighting, the Holiday Arts Market, Lancaster Shops Late, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, Santa in the City, Breakfast With Santa, the Menorah Lightings, and marketing dollars to support all holiday efforts," Strazzo Righter said.
Strazzo Righter said the city is planning a few new events in 2024 and will still host "time-honored traditions" like the yearly Mayor's Tree Lighting.
"We encourage residents and visitors to take advantage of other New Year’s Eve offerings throughout the city," Strazzo Righter said. "There is still plenty to do in Lancaster City."
While the Red Rose Drop is on an indefinite hiatus, Strazzo Righter said the city will keep the Rose "in safe keeping" in case the event returns at some point in the future.
While no one has come forward to take over the event this year, Strazzo Righter said, some organizations have expressed interest in possibly taking it over in the future.
