NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville is once again gearing up to be the center of the nationwide spotlight, as it hosts a New Year's Eve special on NewsChannel 5 for the second year in a row.
At Bicentennial Mall State Park, preparations are well underway as the city expects upwards of 200,000 people to show up in person.
And locals are catching a glimpse of the buildup before the show.
"I was just gonna go rent me a bike, come down see what's going on down here, and get a bird's eye view of it," said Dawn Kirk.
The show will be featuring entertainment from all kinds of performers.
Nashville has come a long way from the guitar drop at its first city-sponsored new years celebration in 2009, when a paltry 15,000 people attended.
If you're interested in safe transportation options, WeGo Buses, rideshare and trains are all running toward the big party Saturday.
Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp provided a detailed list of all the options to get everyone to the celebrations safely.
Ride Share & Taxi Services Drop Off and Pick Up Locations
· James Robertson Parkway between Fourth Avenue and Rep. John Lewis Way
· James Robertson Parkway from Charlotte Pike to Rosa L. Parks Boulevard (Capitol Hill side)
· Rosa L. Parks Boulevard from Farmers’ Market entrance to 10th Circle North
· Jefferson Street between Sixth Avenue and Rosa L. Parks Boulevard
WeGo Transit
Beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday, December 31, free bus rides will be available on WeGo Public Transit bus routes, and service on 17 routes will be extended until 2:30 a.m. Sunday, January 1, 2023. The WeGo Star special event train will also be available on New Year’s Eve as a safe ride for those celebrating the new year.
WeGo Bus Service (Saturday service until 12:15 a.m., additional service begins at 12:45 a.m.)
WeGo will operate Saturday bus service until 12:15 a.m. Customer Care personnel will be available to assist customers at the Ticket Window from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and in the Call Center from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. All buses will operate on detours through Downtown but will resume regular routing once out of the downtown area. For service after midnight, passengers should plan to board at WeGo Central, since detours due to unplanned road closures may affect service to other stops in downtown. Additional service from downtown only will begin after the event on the following bus routes departing from WeGo Central at 12:45 a.m., 1:30 a.m., and 2:30 a.m. Routes in italics will also have a 12:15 a.m. departure.
3 – West End 14 – Whites Creek 22 – Bordeaux 50 – Charlotte Pike
4 – Shelby 17 – 12th Avenue South 23 – Dickerson Pike 52 – Nolensville Pike
7 – Hillsboro 18 – Airport 29 – Jefferson 55 – Murfreesboro Pike
8 – 8th Avenue South 19 – Herman 34 – Opry Mills 56 – Gallatin Pike
A detailed schedule of bus operations for the evening is available on WeGoTransit.com.
Park & Rides are available outside of Downtown and accessible by the select late night routes at the following locations:
· Vanderbilt University parking lots on Natchez Trace (Route 3)
· Bellevue Park & Ride (Route 3B)
· Dollar General at Hickory Plaza (Route 52A)
· Hickory Hollow Global Mall at The Crossings (Route 55)
· Madison Square behind Job Billiards (Route 56)
Customers may also want to consider using rideshare as a first mile/last mile connection to the bus.
New Year’s Eve Train (arrives at Riverfront at 8 p.m., departs at 1:30 a.m.)
An allotment of 650 tickets was made available to the general public. Round-trip tickets cost $15 plus a $2 processing fee and are available for purchase at ticketsnashville.com. Tickets will be on sale until an hour prior to departure or until they are sold out, whichever comes first. Children ages 4 and younger will not need a ticket to board; however, they will be required to sit in a parent’s lap.
The New Year’s Eve train schedule is as follows:
· Lebanon Station 7:00 p.m.
· Hamilton Springs Station 7:08 p.m.
· Martha Station 7:15 p.m.
· Mt. Juliet Station 7:25 p.m.
· Hermitage Station 7:35 p.m.
· Donelson Station 7:45 p.m.
Upon arrival at Riverfront Station, buses will be available to take customers directly to Bicentennial Mall.
For the Star’s return trip, buses will load on James Robertson between 6th and 7th Avenues and will proceed directly to Riverfront Station between midnight and 1 a.m. WeGo staff will be on hand to assist and direct passengers. The Star will depart at 1:30 a.m.
Weekday WeGo Star tickets and passes are not accepted on the New Year’s Eve train. Folding chairs will be allowed onboard. Any items that will not fit underneath the seat, such as bikes and wagons, are not permitted on the train. Coolers of any size are not permitted on the train or at the event. All personal items are subject to search. See the house rules for additional information.
Anyone needing special accommodations to board should call 615-862-5950 prior to their trip.
For detailed bus service information, please consult the route schedules on their website at WeGoTransit.com Customers can also check one of the mobile real-time information tools such as Google Transit or the Transit App or contact Customer Care at 615-862-5950.
