ROCKFORD — Families visiting the Discovery Center Museum on New Year’s Eve will see something different this year — a shiny new New Year’s Eve ball. 

Bruce Quast, exhibits director for the center, put the finishing touches on the new ball Friday. Quast made it using a yoga ball covered in six rolls of packing tape and more than 70 lights.

The ball will drop for the first time Sunday during the Discovery Center's annual Countdown to Fun! New Year's Eve party.

“The countdown is a really exciting moment. There’s a lot of anticipation when the ball drops,” Quast said. 

Ball drops will take place at 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. The celebration, which starts at 12:30 p.m. also includes games, music, crafts, party hats, confetti and noisemakers.

The Discovery Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

For more information, go online to www.discoverycentermuseum.org/

Arturo Fernandez: 815-987-1345; afernandez@rrstar.com; @ArturoFernandez