One person’s New Year’s Eve is champagne. Another’s might be a popcorn bar … with gummy bears, chocolate chips and cinnamon sugar toppings.
Of course, the former celebrates at midnight. The latter celebrates at 12 p.m., better known as Noon Year’s Eve.
And the downtown branch of the Boise Library will pull out all the stops for a family-friendly midday celebration.
“We're going to be making sparkly crowns, confetti poppers and we always have a dance party …we're going to be adding bubbles,” said Mackie Welch, youth services librarian in the Boise Library system. “About five minutes to noon, we pass out the noisemakers and we count down, and drop hundreds of balloons on the kids.”
Welch visited with Morning Edition host George Prentice for a preview.
“It's an opportunity for families who might have separate plans… who have a variety of ages in their family… to celebrate together earlier in the day.”Mackie Welch
Read the full transcript below:
GEORGE PRENTICE: It's Morning Edition. Hi, I'm George Prentice to borrow from one of the better songs of the season. What are you doing New Year's Eve? There are more than a few options, but many of them, let's face it, are so, so well, so last year. So before we tell 2023 to skedaddle, we are more than a bit interested in what's happening over at the Boise library this New Year's Eve. So here comes Mackie Welch, a youth services librarian at the Boise library. Hi, Maggie.
MACKIE WELCH: Hey.
PRENTICE: How was your year, by the way?
WELCH: Oh, good. And busy.
PRENTICE: That's good. That's a very good thing. Before we talk about what's going to happen, I want to spend a minute or two to talk about what you do for a living. At a time when librarians have somehow been put in the middle of our cultural debates, I'm not sure how often you are thanked for what you do. So, number one, thank you. But why are you a librarian?
WELCH: That is a big question. I've actually wanted to be a librarian for a really long, long time. Um, but it went through different iterations of what kind of librarian I wanted to be. Um, I wanted to be an archivist in high school, and anybody who knows me knows that would not be a good fit. Um, I landed in children's librarianship one, because I love kids, and I think there's such an important part of our community. Um, I try and remind people that they are people, and they grow up to be voters, and they grow up to be lawmakers. And the way they get their start is so important. And I love playing a role in that, whether it's providing them with just a fun party like New Year's Eve or, um, having a role in teaching them early literacy skills or finding the perfect book for a child that gets them hooked on reading for pleasure. Um, I think all of those are are super important parts of a child's development, and I just feel really lucky every day to be a part of that.
PRENTICE: Great. So, talk to me about December 31st at the main branch of the Boise library. What's up?
WELCH: Yeah. So, it is our ... oh, gosh, it might be our fourth annual or fifth annual, I think fourth annual Noon Year's Eve party.
PRENTICE: Let's pause there: Noon Year's Eve?
WELCH: Noon Year's Eve. Yeah. Because many of us cannot make it to midnight. I sure can't make it to midnight. Um, we wanted to provide families with an opportunity to celebrate together. And so we count down to noon … instead of midnight at the library.
PRENTICE: So how do you do that? I'm going to guess you have a little bit of a party that builds up to that, right?
WELCH: We sure do. So we have lots of activities. Um, this year we're going to be making sparkly crowns. Okay. Um, we make confetti poppers, and then we always have a dance party. Uh, this year we're going to be adding bubbles, so hopefully that's a big draw. So it'll be a bubble dance party. Um, and then about five minutes to noon, we pass out the noisemakers and we count down, and we drop hundreds of balloons on the kids and continue the party till 1230.
PRENTICE: Okay, so, where do you do this? Over in the kids’ section?
WELCH: We do. In years past, it's all been in the auditorium. This year, we're going to spread out a little bit because it is quite the big event. Um, so, yeah, it'll be the entire children's department. Um, we're going to take over. And it should be a ton of fun.
PRENTICE: I have to ask: are there snacks?
WELCH: There are. The world's best in my opinion, because I make it every year. Popcorn bar. Yes, you can top your popcorn with a variety of things: gummy bears, chocolate chips, cinnamon sugar. All kinds of things.
PRENTICE: Can I assume that more than a few of your colleagues are all in on this?
WELCH: Oh, yes. Um, I definitely always get a few people who, uh. It's hard to remind them that we're at work. We have to remind them and say, uh, you know, the party is for everyone, but we are at work. We have a lot of people that like to join in on any kind of dance party.
PRENTICE: All ages?
WELCH: It's all ages. Yeah. We, um. Again, it's really an opportunity for families who might have separate plans on New Year’s Eve. Yeah. It's an opportunity for families who might have separate plans, who have a variety of ages in their family to celebrate together earlier in the day. Um, and so, yeah, we welcome all ages. It's a very fun event.
PRENTICE: I love it. So Noon Year's Eve gets going... about what time?
WELCH: It gets going at 11. And we usually go, uh, so the balloon drop is right at noon. We count down…and then we usually go till about 12:30.
PRENTICE: I love it, and I couldn't be more excited about this because my particular hours, uh, you know, keep me away from midnight. Are you? I'm usually just waking up around. So, um, this is this is wonderful. And she is Mackie Welch, youth services librarian at Boise library. Mackie. Happy, New Year and, have a blast. And thank you so very much for being one of our final guests on this broadcast for the year.
WELCH: Thank you for having me.
Find reporter George Prentice on X @georgepren
Copyright 2023 Boise State Public Radio
