WALTON - The village of Walton is set to ring in the new year with a new tradition: an inaugural “Snowflake Drop” at the village’s greenspace on Water Street on New Year’s Eve.
Mayor Bjorn Eilertsen said the custom-built snowflake would be lowered at midnight, marking the village’s own version of a countdown ritual more often associated with much larger cities.
The snowflake has a second life beyond New Year’s Eve. It is one of 10 matching pieces created for use as decorations at a gala scheduled for Jan. 17, linking the holiday celebration to another major winter event on the village calendar.
Credit for the snowflake’s construction goes to Josh McDonald and Jimmy Phraner of Empire Metal Works, whose work transformed the idea into a tangible symbol of winter and community.
Village officials said the Snowflake Drop is intended to be simple, local and welcoming - a small-town moment designed to draw residents together at the turn of the year, beneath a falling snowflake instead of a descending ball.
