New York ( CNN ) -- Just as it has happened for more than a century as the old year ticks toward history , a large crowd will gather Friday night in New York 's Times Square to mark the old and the new with the descent of an iconic ball . The dazzling crystal ball will begin its 70-foot descent precisely at 11:59 p.m . ET to the chants of New Year 's Eve revelers counting down the final seconds of 2010 , according to the event 's official website . Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Medal of Honor recipient Staff Sgt . Salvatore A. Giunta will push a button to start the ball toward 2011 . Weighing in at 11,875 pounds with a diameter of 12 feet , the sparkling sphere is covered with 2,668 triangular crystals and is powered by 32,256 LED lights . By mixing red , blue , green and white light elements , the ball 's lighting system is capable of producing a kaleidoscopic array of 16 million hues and colors , and billions of patterns , the event 's website says . Each giant New Year 's numeral making up `` 2-0-1-1 '' will stand 7 feet high and the numerals will use a total 453 9-watt LED bulbs . As in the past three years , the numerals were designed to be more energy efficient , as Duracell set up a lab in which visitors rode stationary bikes to provide the stored battery power that will light the numbers on the ball Friday night . More than one ton of confetti will be released at midnight , with personal individual wishes written in more than 25 languages , a tradition from the past three years . Times Square has served as one of the most popular sites of New Year 's festivities since 1904 , though the New Year 's Eve ball made its inaugural drop down the flagpole at One Times Square in 1907 . That first ball , built with iron and wood , featured one hundred light bulbs and was designed by Jacob Starr , a young immigrant metalworker . The New Year 's Eve ball has beamed and dropped every year since with the exceptions of 1942 and 1943 , when the United States was embroiled in World War II and New York City observed a citywide `` dim-out '' to cut energy costs . According to New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly , this New Year 's Eve celebration , like years in the past , is a product of a lot of hard work and planning by many people . `` We do n't ever take it for granted , '' Kelly said . `` The situation changes somewhat , we have sort of a core plan but we always add to it or change it -- we do n't want to get stuck in a rut where we simply take a plan off the shelf . '' iReport : Times Square readies for the crowds . As in previous years , security will be tight . Times Square will be closed to traffic at approximately 3 p.m. on Friday . Backpacks and alcohol are prohibited at the event and party-goers can expect a beefed-up police presence , according to the statement from the New York Police Department . `` It is a big complex operation and you know you always breathe a sigh of relief when it 's over , '' Kelly said .
Since 1907 , a ball - drop in Times Square has marked the changing of the year . This year , the ball will have water that will explode to produce hundreds of colors . More than a ton of confetti will be released at once .