Every year, residents of Hershey, PA and others from surrounding areas gather in downtown Hershey to celebrate the new year. There are various entertainment acts and activities for people to take part in annually.

This year, the main festivities begin at 9:00pm and run until midnight. During the course of the day, however, the Hershey Story and the First United Methodist Church are holding various activities.

Beginning at 11:00am, the Hershey Story is holding a “bubble wrap stomp,” where kids can stomp around with Hershey’s characters, popping bubble wrap. There are also two other “stomps” at 1:00pm and 3:00pm. This is weather dependent. Jim Rule is scheduled to perform for kids at 9:00pm, along with the Hershey characters.

The First United Methodist Church’s activities begin at 7:00pm. There will be various festivities, as well as refreshments and hot chocolate which will be available to anyone. A local band, The Rizzetta’s Tones, will also be performing.

Opening for the main headline act, The Pentagon, begins at 9:00pm. Their music features covers from various rock bands, including Smash Mouth and U2.

The headlining act features American Idol winner Kris Allen. Allen competed in the singing competition show in 2008, and has released four studio albums, along with a platinum single, “Live Like We’re Dying.”

The event also features the famous “Hershey Kiss Drop” which takes place off of the side of the Hershey Press Building. The kiss is an impressive 12 feet tall, and weighs in at 300 pounds. The drop was featured on national news organizations in 2015, viewed by more than three million people.