Pine Cone dropped | Free News
Popular New Year’s Eve event canceled
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The giant pine cone was dropped 33 days before it was scheduled to be. The Downtown Countdown is being discontinued, Laurel Main Street officials announced in a press release on Tuesday.
The new New Year’s Eve event began as a way to ring in 2019 and had to be canceled two years later because of COVID-19, so it had yet to reach status of tradition. But that didn’t prevent people on social media from questioning and criticizing the decision.
Some owners of short-term rental properties complained that they had guests scheduled to stay with them just to attend the event in the small town that’s been made famous on the HGTV hit show “Home Town.” Others defended the decision, noting that “popularity doesn’t pay the bills.”
When asked about the fallout on Facebook, LMS Executive Director Caroline Burks said, “We’re so grateful so many people are invested in what’s going on downtown ... so if you’d like to invest your time in growing Laurel, you can submit your contact information on our website and we’ll reach out when we have volunteer opportunities!”
And there will be plenty of opportunities to do just that in 2023, she said, noting that there are 10 Laurel Main Street-sponsored events “and countless others we assist and partner with” scheduled for the upcoming year.
No specifics were given for the cancellation of Countdown, but it appeared that it may have been because of lack of volunteers.
“While the event itself was fantastic each year it was held, upon closer inspection, it doesn’t rise to our standards of supporting our merchants and overall health of our downtown,” read the press release from Keri Rowell, who handles promotions for LMS. “We apologize for any inconvenience this causes, and we appreciate every person who attended, volunteered or made donations in the past.”
Cadence Bank (formerly BancorpSouth), the City of Laurel and Headrick Signs & Graphics were singled out for their work with Countdown. Headrick designed and constructed the giant pine cone that was dropped at midnight to bring in the new year in downtown Laurel.
It was a “difficult decision,” Rowell wrote, adding, “We look forward to continuing the great work of Laurel Main Street with several new and exciting projects. Stay tuned!”
The letter/press release was signed by Rowell along with LMS President Lee Bounds, Vice President Mandy Hegwood, Treasurer Mallorie Rasberry, Secretary Nicki Hudson, Burks and the LMS Board of Directors.
More than 5,000 people attended the inaugural Countdown to watch the clock strike midnight, and the giant pine cone was introduced the next year, 2020, to pay homage to the community’s heritage as a sawmill town. Then pandemic struck the next year. The Downtown Countdown that rang in 2022 — after the on-again, off-again one that was a casualty of COVID and the subject of community criticism — was a big hit because Danny Rasberry brought in world-renowned Elton John impersonator to perform.
“Laurel Main Street and the City work separately but in harmony to provide the very best experience and quality of life to our local community and our visitors, and these events are an integral part of our mission to build back a sustainable, thriving downtown,” Burks said, “but are only a piece of the puzzle of what LMS does for the community through our economic vitality, promotion, organization and design committees.. all of which are volunteer-driven.
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