'The Big Orange' marks New Year's Eve in Miami

By The Associated Press
Published: December 31, 2011

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MIAMI --

A big citrus fruit is set to rise over Miami and ring in 2012.

Saturday night's New Year's Eve celebrations will mark the 25th anniversary of "The Big Orange."

The neon fruit with a new animated face will rise up the side of the InterContinental Hotel in downtown Miami at midnight. Fireworks are set to go off at midnight over the adjacent Biscayne Bay.

The celebration usually attracts a crowd of 150,000 to 250,000 people to Bayfront Park in downtown Miami.

A fireworks display also is set for midnight over the ocean off South Beach, where officials have closed the famous Ocean Drive to cars for the holiday weekend.