After a one-year absence, it appears the 22nd annual Tamaqua New Year’s Eve celebration will return to downtown Tamaqua.

The event was canceled last year due to construction at the ABC Tamaqua High Rise building, 222 E. Broad St., site of the celebration.

But there is still one hurdle to overcome to make it happen.

“The high-rise will host the event and we have an event sponsor, but we need somebody to step forward to fund new lights that are necessary,” said Pat Freeh-Stefanek, high-rise manager.

Freeh-Stefanek said the old lights are worn, in some cases unusable, and no longer suitable.

“Plus, they need to be switched to LED. Frank Fabrizio has volunteered his services to replace all of the lighting if somebody would help with the purchase.”

Organizers are hoping a local organization or donor will step forward to fund the lights, a one-time expense of $400.

If that happens, then all systems are go for the return of the celebration.

The event is billed as the region’s largest and highest welcome to the new year, and may well be the brightest, too.

It was sponsored by a variety of organizations through its two-decade run, starting with the Tamaqua Founding Bicentennial Committee in 1998, then later the Tamaqua Area Chamber of Commerce and local civic groups.

If all goes as planned, brilliantly lighted eagles will soar 175 feet high on New Year’s Eve, triggering a large 2020 to welcome the new year.

The celebration typically includes a jumbotron television with a live feed from Times Square in New York City, featuring “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rocking Eve with Ryan Seacrest.”

The Tamaqua celebration is free to the public.

This year’s event sponsor will be the Times News LLC, a Pencor Services company.

The event has had its share of surprises and unusual circumstances.

In 1999, the committee hyped the show as a big countdown to the new millennium and Tamaqua’s step into its third century.

That year, the ball went up, then down, and then continued to bounce up and down, setting off fireworks and dazzling lights before a crowd of 1,200.

There was added suspense that year as many feared the Y2K bug would blanket the entire country in total darkness at the stroke of midnight. But it never happened.

Many say the success of the annual event is attributable to the novelty factor and the spirit of high-rise residents, a group that opens its arms to host the community and region.

Some residents also open their apartment doors to help with preparation, as Fabrizio and his technicians need access to specific rooms within the building in order to install equipment.

Organizers say support from Tamaqua Borough and the Tamaqua police department is an essential part of the evening and helps ensure a safe celebration.

Any organization or person willing to assist with the $400 expense for new lighting is asked to contact Freeh-Stefanek at 570-668-0313.