BLOOMINGTON, Minnesota — The countdown to 2024 included events all day leading up to midnight.
Across the Twin Cities metro area, families got a head start on New Year's Eve festivities.
At Eden Prairie Center, a Noon Year's Eve event took place by Hi-Five Sports Zone.
"We came up with the whole idea of having kids and parents be able to celebrate the New Year together and kind of the Noon Year's Eve came out of that," explained Reggie Perkins, owner of Hi-Five Sports Zone.
It was their second year hosting the event which included a DJ, sports and balloon drop at noon.
Meanwhile, at the Mall of America, New Year's Eve activities started at 10 a.m. It also included a Noon Year's Eve countdown at the Huntington Bank Rotunda, followed by a performance by the teen pop group XOMG POP!
Mohamed Hassan of Chaska took his three kids to Nickelodeon Universe. He said reflecting on 2023, he's grateful for all the time he spent connecting with family.
When asked what he wants to leave behind in 2023 and what he wants to carry forward into 2024, Hassan said, "The stress, I guess. All the stress. But I would like to take forward with me... the joy, the positivity. Even though a lot of stuff is going on in the world right now but just try to take forward all the positivity there is."
Performer Mia Dorr said for 2024, she wants to think more globally.
"2023 I think has taught us that... there's a lot of things in change in our world today and I haven't paid very close attention and I want to really look globally in 2024," Dorr said.
Dorr was the opening act at the 1980s New Year's Eve party at The Metropolitan Ballroom and Clubroom in Golden Valley.
"I love the 80s. I've been producing New Year's Eve events for about 18 years now and every year it's coming up with an event that I think is exciting and people want," said Courtney Smallbeck, owner of Beckworth Events.
It's Smallbeck's fifth time putting together a New Year's Eve event at The Metropolitan. The first one was in 2019.
Since the pandemic, Smallbeck said, "It has definitely been smaller parties since then but I do see them getting bigger and bigger. So I feel as though we are getting back to that larger party and really looking forward to that scene again."
Dorr said her favorite part of 2023?
"I became a grandmother this year. So for me, this year is very much about all the different aspects of love and how love can be," Dorr said. "Yeah, looking forward to 2024."
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