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Fireworks, Other Activities To Ring In New Year At Penn's Landing

By Dan Wing, Diana Rocco

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Many gathered at Penn's Landing beginning Thursday evening to get their New Year's Eve party started with a fireworks show.

The shows over the Delaware River are always a crowd-pleaser, and this year's first show added a little extra excitement for kids like Luke and Logan with a Star Wars theme.

"My favorite movie's Star Wars, so I love how they did the Star Wars theme. It did it by the timeline of the movie too."

"When it got to the dark side music, it kind of all turned red."

Luke came to the show from Berlin, New Jersey with his dad, Jim Pierce, who says the show did not disappoint:

"It's over the water. This year they did the Star Wars theme, I thought that was really neat."

He says the show helps set the mood for the rest of their New Year's celebration:

"Now we go to family parties for the rest of the night, but we come all the way over to Philly just for these fireworks because they're really well done and they're a good time."

Many people, however, stayed to hang out at the River Rink and to catch the second show at midnight.

"It's awesome. It's fun looking forward to seeing the fireworks, yes," Bridget tells CBS 3 Eyewitness News.

Families have flocked by the thousands to Penn's landing, ringing in the new year with resolutions and high hopes:

"Lose weight."

"My resolution is to gain weight."

"My resolution is to cheer more for Green Bay."

The Waterfront was full of anticipation in the final hours of 2015 as everyone waited for that second show at the stroke of 2016.

"It's like everyone coming together celebrating the new year all together," says Paige Dooley.

Some brought party hats, horns, headbands or glasses, and almost everyone had jackets on a chilly night.

Happy New Year!

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