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Philly will light up the sky twice New Year's Eve

Philadelphia's New Year's Eve celebration on the Delaware River waterfront will include two fireworks displays, one for early birds and the other for night owls, officials announced Friday.

Philadelphia's New Year's Eve celebration on the Delaware River waterfront will include two fireworks displays, one for early birds and the other for night owls, officials announced Friday.

The 6 p.m. and midnight fireworks shows each will be choreographed differently and have its own soundtrack, said Tom Corcoran, president of the Delaware River Waterfront Corp.

For those who can't make it to the riverfront, the events will be shown live on NBC10 and Telemundo 62. The soundtrack will also be broadcast on KYW NewsRadio.

And if you get caught in traffic en route, all 1,400 taxis in Philadelphia will also show the fireworks live on backseat TVs, said Meryl Levitz, president and CEO of Visit Philly.

Mayor Kenney said that there was some initial concern over funding but that SugarHouse Casino is sponsoring the shows. The cost to produce both is $150,000.

"Fireworks display on New Year's Eve not only provides a spectacle to bringing in the new year, but the event also is a major boost to our tourism and hospitality industry," Kenney said during a Friday news conference. "I am looking forward to my first New Year's Eve as mayor."

The two shows combined will use more than 4,000 fireworks devices, which equals four tons of explosives. The largest shells are expected to explode in displays 600 feet in diameter. Each show is set to last 14 minutes.

The Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest at Penns Landing will also have two parties on Dec. 31. One will be from 5 to 8 p.m. and the other will be from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Tickets are $40 per person for those who want to skate and $30 per person for spectators. The ticket includes light refreshments and party favors. Drinks may be purchased on site.

Levitz said two New Year's Eve celebrations in one night is "just a tribute to how family-friendly and sensitive Philadelphia is."

Levitz said that with the New Year's holiday on a weekend, it is expected that hotels will sell out and businesses will be bustling.

cvargas@phillynews.com

215-854-5520

@InqCVargas