MARQUETTE -- Preparations in Marquette were underway as early as Friday morning in anticipation of saying goodbye to 2010 and welcoming 2011.
All of the lights are out of storage, and the lighted globe that brings in the New Year was hoisted to the top of the Old Savings Bank Building.
In preparation for the much-anticipated drop this evening, the ball was fully lit as it climbed five stories to the pulley.
The crew worked on preparing the lines that guide the ball in its descent.
Thousands were being anticipated to line the streets to watch the spectacle.
"It draws a pretty good crowd, I think, of people; it's festive, it's our own little Times Square," said volunteer, Terry Szczepanski.
After a countdown to the New Year, the ball will be dropped at midnight.
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