Ring in New Years, Watch the lowering of the Queen Conch Shell at the stroke of midnight to ring in 2011.      

Live from the roof of Sloppy Joe's Bar at the corner of Greene and Duval in Key West.

 

You’re not in New York anymore, Toto.  As midnight approaches Friday, Dec. 31, Key West gets pretty bizarre.

Thousands of spectators gather for the annual gala, emceed by a rooftop host and featuring a countdown to midnight recorded on a huge clock. At midnight, the shell descends and cheers erupt. Live music on Sloppy Joe’s indoor stage is to round out the revelry.

Watch the crowd gather to ring in 2011 with our 18th Annual Dropping of the Conch Shell. Sloppy Joe's will lower the Queen Conch Shell at the stroke of midnight to ring in 2011.

Created by local artist Tobias McGregor the New Year's Eve event began in 1993. Then the Conch Shell only stood two feet high. The Conch Shell, as well as the gathering to watch the annual event has grown considerably.

The idea and implementation of the Conch Shell is that of McGregor. In 1993, McGregor approach Sloppy Joe's management about the New Year's Eve plan.

"Before the Dropping of the Conch Shell, everyone would just wander around Duval Street celebrating New Year when their watches read midnight. The crowd was just not in sync," said McGregor.

The initial Conch Shell was rigged on a frame, the shell was lowered manually, and timed by watch, or by looking across the street into a window and watching the count down in Times Square on someone's TV. Now the Conch Shell is a six-foot Queen Conch, proudly standing twenty feet atop the roof of Sloppy Joe's Bar. The Conch shell runs on a motorized track and is synchronized with the clock and lights. A rooftop host entertains the crowd as everyone in the streets dance, catch beads and waits for the count down clock to begin. As midnight strikes the Conch Shell will drop and confetti sprayed onto those gathered below.

WATCH LIVE

CLICK HERE           

http://www.sloppyjoes.com/conchshellevent.htm

 

 

 

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