Midnight in the Afternoon at the Highlands
Lisa Patrick
Ashland Beacon
It might have been the middle of the afternoon on New Year’s Eve, but anyone walking into the Highlands Museum between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. would never have been able to guess that. Children wearing pajamas were everywhere around the Clark Family Discovery Center looking like they were getting their last bursts of energy out before it was time to go to bed.
For the second year in a row, the museum hosted its New Year’s at Noon party, which Kim Jenkins explained as “a kid-friendly introduction to the traditions of New Year’s Eve.” With New Year’s Eve falling on a Sunday this year, the museum adjusted the time a little and referred to it as New Year’s “after noon.” Jenkins stated that the event was “a tremendous success.” The museum welcomed 253 guests and “the place was hopping!”
All of the pint-sized attendees (and some not-so-pint-sized) got to enjoy all of the fun new activities in the Clark Family Discovery Center plus added party entertainment like face painting, make-your-own fortune cookies, and dance parties in the new Active Energy Theater. The Center even boasts a “sensory room” for children who need a few minutes to get out of the noise. It was used by a few of the attendees to take a short breather before rejoining the action.
Around 3:30 p.m., everyone headed downstairs to the main floor to participate in a New Year’s Eve “Toast.” The museum offered little packs of gummy snacks and small cups of sparkling grape juice for families to “toast” in the “new year.” While the attendees were picking out a spot on the floor to get the best vantage point for the annual balloon drop, museum employees and a few high school student volunteers were ready and waiting on the mezzanine to empty trash bags full of balloons over their heads.
At 3:45 p.m., Jenkins, also dressed in her pajamas, went upstairs on the mezzanine to start the “official” countdown to the New Year. When she reached zero, confetti cannons started exploding and 400 balloons rained down into the audience. Excited children were scooping up balloons and running around with them. Siblings and friends were having balloon wars, and little ones were clutching onto them as their new favorite toys. Because there were more balloons than people, several children were able to get more than one. Then, the real fun started as the kids started stomping on any balloons left on the floor. The sound of popping balloons was only topped by the giggling laughter of the children as they popped them.
The museum’s plans didn’t stop with the New Year’s event though. Jenkins said, “it’s very busy at the Highlands.” There are “lots of birthday parties scheduled” and the next Kentucky Chautauqua performance, an event that brings history to life with performers dressing as historical figures and telling about their lives, is on Jan. 11. The museum will also be open on Jan. 15 with activities for families to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday. The museum is starting to book up with school tours and “we’re putting the finishing touches on our biggest fundraiser, the wildly popular ‘Dancing With Our Stars’ that will take place on Feb. 3.”
The Highlands Museum and Discovery Center is located at 1620 Winchester Avenue in downtown Ashland. Family memberships for the museum begin at $100 for a year for two adults and up to four children, with an added cost of only $10 per year for any additional children. Membership also includes free and half-price admissions at other participating locations including COSI in Columbus and the Cincinnati Children’s Museum. For further assistance, call the museum at 606.329.8888.
