Bars, restaurants prepare for NYE parties in downtown Raleigh, for some it's bittersweet

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Ferris wheel is up along Fayetteville Street in Downtown Raleigh and crews are busy setting up for the First Night Raleigh New Year's celebration.

The acorn drop will be a big highlight of the night, and bars and restaurants are gearing up for the festivities.

The Willard on Glenwood South is preparing for 400 people to pack into the space and ring in the New Year. From the rooftop, partygoers can see the skyline sparkle for the stroke of midnight.

"The acorn drop on Fayetteville Street is one of the bigger things we do every year in Raleigh. And we're blessed to be able to have a fantastic view of that," said Willard Food and Beverage Director Conrad Most.

The event is sold out.

"It's one of the more exciting times of the year for us," said Most.

Other restaurants are bracing for a bittersweet celebration.

Young Hearts Distilling has been a popular spot in the heart of Downtown Raleigh and this year's New Year's party will be the last at the location.

"I think I still have a pain in my chest thinking about it," said Young Hearts Distilling Owner Chris Powers.

"We have tons of great memories in this building, so it's more just trying to continue that one last time," said Chef David Mitchell.

Powers and his partner opened in 2009. It started off as Busy Bee Café and then became Young Hearts Distilling.

After more than a decade, they decided to sell the building and closing the closing the Downtown eatery in January.

"It's bittersweet for us," said Powers. "This is where we started. This is the beginning of everything for us."

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It has been a tough year for some businesses in Downtown Raleigh.

Places, like City Club, announced they were closing doors. Other merchants, such as Flourish Market, relocated out of downtown. The institution Clyde Coopers BBQ expressed their desire to leave.

Powers and his partner say thankfully, their various other businesses around town are thriving. They're moving the downtown distilling operations to another location.

Powers says the New Year's party will be a dual celebration marking new beginnings and toasting everything accomplished in this space.

"We have a lot of irons in the fire and we're ready to move towards it, but this place is special for so many reasons," said Powers. "There's been a huge response on Instagram and social media about how special this place is to people. We have a lot of folks that are coming who are going to help celebrate. give this place the goodbye that it deserves."

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