The New Year's Eve Ball on top of the Phoenix Apartment building at Adams Avenue and Depot Street on Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021, awaits its time to shine at La Grande's downtown New Year's Eve block party.  

LA GRANDE — La Grande’s annual downtown New Year’s Eve celebrations will be back in full force the evening of Friday, Dec. 31.

The celebration, hosted by La Grande Main Street Downtown, will again feature a block party and a ball drop. A year ago the outdoor downtown celebration had a ball drop but no block party due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The party will be able to be conducted this year because of Union County’s falling COVID-19 infection rates.

“We are going to go full steam,” said Ashley O’Toole, the founder of the ball drop and block party and an organizer of this year’s event.

The party, which will be conducted at Adams Avenue and Depot Street, will start at 10 p.m. Recorded music will be played at the party and there will be burn barrels and a warming tent offering free hot chocolate and cider.

A scavenger hunt is planned in connection with the party. Participants will visit landmarks in La Grande and have their pictures taken.

The ball drop will start at 11:59 p.m. The ball for the event was installed the morning of Sunday, Dec. 26, with major help from the La Grande Fire Department.

Metal at Midnight

For those looking to enjoy some live music in La Grande and rock in the new year, HQ on Depot Street is the place to be.

The local music venue will be hosting the fourth rendition of Metal at Midnight, a New Year’s Eve concert celebration. The event was canceled the last two years, but is set to make its return on the final day of 2021.

Nogero, a metal band based in La Grande, will take the stage and play a set to ring in 2022. According to HQ co-owner Chris Jennings, the band will play a pre-midnight set and then perform headbangers at midnight.

The festivities at HQ will include a beer garden, burn barrels and interim dance music. The event will coincide with the La Grande ball drop — attendees in the HQ beer garden will be able to watch the ball drop from the outdoor area.

Nogero officially formed about seven years ago, but most of its members have been playing together since high school. Its members are Shawn Turley, Ian Dill, Nick Hackney, Jim Noyes and Ricky Marwick.

“It’s a cool thing to have Metal at Midnight because it brings that live music downtown when downtown is at its finest,” Turley said. “Everybody is down there and having a great time.”

The event has drawn upward of 100 attendees in years past, feeding off those drawn to downtown for New Year’s Eve. The band is emphasizing COVID-19 precautions ahead of the show.

“It has been really successful in the past. I understand people’s hesitancy. I’m a very COVID-conscious person,” Turley said. “We think it can be done responsibly and still have a good turnout. People really do look forward to it.”

Nogero will perform a mix of originals and covers during the show. According to Turley, an original called “Metal at Midnight” will be played right after the clock hits midnight.

Doors will open at HQ at 8 p.m. on Dec. 31 and the event will go until about 1 a.m. Tickets for Metal at Midnight are $10 at the door and funds go toward paying the band and supporting HQ into 2022.

“We can’t stress enough as a band that we are excited to play, but we want to do it safely and responsibly,” Turley said. “We encourage everyone coming to be vaccinated or to wear a mask. We just want to have the safest and most responsible experience possible.”