KALAMAZOO (WKZO) -- New Years Fest was a party with thousand of guests, many who only came down to Bronson park to see the ball drop, the fireworks and to welcome the new year.

They came from all over the community to welcome in the new year together as they have for over a quarter of a century since the beginning of New Years Fest. Then the big moment came. The countdown began, the ball dropped and the fireworks filled the air with explosions of colored light. Well we made it to 2013, despite the Mayans.

Kalamazoo Public safety reports the usual spike in drunk driving arrests and drunken fights that they usually see on a New Years Eve, but nothing exceptional.

Kalamazoo welcomed the New Year by inviting a rock band covering JImi Hendrix tunes to play in the nave of a church, and there was an Irish band doing jigs in a cellars. And brass quartets where normally there would be choirs.

This year’s New Years Fest was a near sell out as organizer Deb Droppers had a thousand more buttons printed up this year than last, when the buttons were all gone by 7PM.

She says its not only a great cultural event that brings out a lot of people to hear regional artists, but it’s a great community event.

Droppers says she will take today off to rest her feet, but the planning for this year’s New Years Fest has already begun.