swallow quick and deep ♪ ♪ throw the bait, catch the shark, bleed the water red fifty words for murder and i'm every one of them ♪ ♪ my touch is black and poisonous and nothing like my punch-drunk kiss ♪ ♪ i know you need it, do you feel it drink the water, drink the wine ♪ ♪ oh we gotta turn up the crazy livin' like a washed-up celebrity shooting fireworks like it's the fourth of july ♪

fireworks kick off a night of celebration along the waterfront in philadelphia. nbc 10 gave you a front-row seat to the first show. now it's almost time to ring in the new year. a live look at penn's landing where another set of fireworks will light up the sky in just under an hour. crowds spent the evening skating at the blue cross riverrink enjoying a night of family fun. i'm jacqueline london, it's

almost 2016. we are just about an hour away from welcoming in the new year. they're counting down the minutes in new york city. we have a live picture from times square. the place is packed in preparation for the annual ball drop that will usher in the new year. randy gyllenhaal starts new year's eve coverage. randy, what a great night for skating and fireworks. all good. >> reporter: it feels like winter for the first time in a while. on christmas the ice was milted. now look at all these people having fun. we're waiting on the mid-fight fireworks show to begin but earlier families got a sneak peek with music anyone will recognize. [ "star wars" theme ] to the iconic theme of "star wars," fireworks filled the philadelphia skyline. the force was extra strong on this night. >> my eardrums were popping. >> reporter: they were that loud?

>> yes. >> reporter: with incredible amounts of gun powder and explosives timed perfectly to the sound track of this year's most popular film. >> i enjoyed the "star wars" theme. very creative. >> reporter: thousanding watching the 6:00 p.m. display geared toward younger families who don't want to stay up million midnight. the show took 400 hours of planning, producers using computer software and a satellite clock to sync the explosions to the beat of the music. >> that's designed on a computer to that music. we match shell, we match everything to the music itself. that takes about two hours a minute. >> reporter: the sound track was gorgeous. i loved it. >> reporter: fans raving about this display. many waiting if the next show which features more classical music. >> i took a lot of photos and it was tool. >> reporter: and subin fiorello

walking away with the resolution for the year ahead. what's your big plan for the year ahead? >> watch more "star wars" movies. >> reporter: that's your new years resolution? >> that's a good one. we have about 45 minutes, 50 minutes until the fireworks begin. what is your new year's resolution? >> learn how to drive a car. >> reporter: that's a good one. on the barge on the river they just repacked it with explosives set to begin. happy new greer the blue cross riverrink. i'm randy gyllenhaal, nbc 10 news. we, of course, know about the ball drop but in bethlehem, it's a peep. the chick descended as part of the peep fest celebration and the event was topped off with a big fireworks show.

2016 arrives in brazil. the clock hit midnight in rio de janeiro a little more than two hours ago. it's a huge year for rio. the city hosts the summer olympics in august and you'll watch those games right here on nbc 10. after the fireworks, another philadelphia new year's tradition gets under way. you know what it is. the mummers will strut down broad street. this year they may run into protesters along the route. aundrea cline-thomas is live. what are they planning? >> reporter: they're planning on lining the parade route to disrupt the parade and demand justice. [ playing "ave maria" the

mummers mass kicks off one of the most important holiday traditions. >> one of the most important days of the year. >> reporter: in just hours, thousands will fill the stands outside of city hall and line broad street for the mummers parade. >> the glitter, the colors, the music, everything, it's a fun, fun day. >> reporter: the parade has garnered criticism as being racially and ethnically insensitive especially with specific costumes and demonstrations. that's why black lives matter activists are planning to protestment it's being called a rally for justice. it also aims to express outrage over police brutality, underfunded philadelphia public schools and immigration policies is. >> what we hope happens is their protest is peaceful, the parade guess on and they get their cause their cause across like the parade has its cause. >> reporter: a black lives matter organizer declined an on camera interview but expressed desire to interrupt the parade through civil disobedience. mummers notified their leadership and plan to continue

with their celebration as planned. >> we're here to da whatever it takes, whatever the neighborhoods need and hopefully be a very positive light for philadelphia. >> reporter: philadelphia police will have officers along the parade route. the civil affairs unit is assigned to the protest. the hope is both events remain peaceful. reporting live from along broad street, aundrea klein-thomas, nbc 10 news. the parade begins at 9:00 a.m. and marches south on broad street to washington avenue. parade goers can watch the festivities from a viewing area at the philadelphia high school for creative and performing arts. so the all-important question, how is the weather looking? let's check in with first alert meteorologist glenn "hurricane" schwartz. glenn, people need to dress warmly tomorrow if they plan on being out there for hours and hours. >> yes and it will be colder than any time during the month of december but it's going to be

dry. we have dry conditions right now despite all the clouds. there's nothing on the radar. temperatures are lower than they've been for a while but this is well above average this time of the night partly because the clouds are hanging in there, even in the upper 30s and the suburbs. by 8:00 a.m. 36 degrees but without much wind. but it's dry. gradually going up to about 40 degrees at noon as the wind picks up a little bit. so that's chilly but it's nowhere near as cold as it will get later in the seven-day forecast in a few minutes. the tables turned during a robbery attempt in rittenhouse square. police say several people held down a gunman after he and two accomplices tried robbing a man at 16th and pine. officers showed up and arrested the gunman, they are looking for two other men. to delaware county now, skyforce 10 was over mcdade

boulevard in kocollingdale. police have released a picture of the two suspects. no word on a motive. bill cosby's attorneys are firing back a day after he was charged with aggravated assault. on the "today" show, cosby attorney monique pressley said the newly elected d.a. kevin steel charged cosby to keep a campaign promise. he was the centerpiece of the d.a. elect's campaign in ads and public statements he was highly critical of his predecessor and opponent for passing on the cosby case. >> the former d.a. said there was no need to go further and that it belonged in the civil courts and now through a game of political football at which my client's life is the center we are back again. >> at a news conference wednesday, steele said new

information came to light in july that allowed him to charge cosby. the charges come as the statute of limitations was about to expire. consider yourself warned. you'll have company if you're hitting the road. a live look at the schuylkill expressway. teams will be on patrol concentrating on high traffic areas until 4:00 tomorrow morning. here's how new year's got started in downtown dubai. this is video of a massive hotel fire. flames ripped through the high-end hotel as an elaborate fireworks display competed for attention nearby. 14 people were hurt in that f e fire, none seriously. investigators believe the fire started on the 20th floor of the building. either way it made for tense moments. >> it was hot. we did move away. you never know. things that have happened in the past so you never know but we were confident the civil defense would deal with it.

>> undeterred by the flames, thousands gathered nearby for a fireworks display at what is the world's tallest skyscraper. smoke from the hotel fire filled the sky. rochester, new york, canceled its new year's eve fireworks because of a thwarted terror plot. authorities say emmanuel lutchman was planning to attack a bar in order to prove he was worthy of joining isis. he and an informant went to wall noort buy knives, a machete and plastic table chais for the attack. ab authorities said he wanted to join isis in syria. >> we must acknowledge that any place in the world can be a target so we're asking residents to be safe and vigilant. >> rochester's mayor says the cancellation of the fireworks allowed police to redeploy about three dozen officers to patrol the city. is security is clearly visible in times square tonight.

nearly 6,000 police officers are patrolling the area. some are in civilian clothing, others are heavily armed. an estimated one million people have packed times square to ring in the new year and watch the ball drop. >> reporter: back here in philly, you can watch the fireworks from this beautiful view on beaumont plateau. but coming up, i'll tell you where you can watch the mushroom drop. you heard me correctly. don't adjust your televisions, we'll be right back. much colder air coming in along with the new year. how cold will it feel and how warm will it last? that's next in my exclusive seven-day forecast.

what a beautiful sight. it's already 2016 in germany. a new year's eve open air party in germany welcomed in the new

year. the fireworks went off over berlin's landmark brandenberg gate. it's almost our turn. keith jones is live at belmont plateau where people will get a prime view of the philadelphia fireworks. keith? >> jackie, we've seen people pull up, they've been checking out the view. over my right shoulder you'll see some fireworks spring up there by the ben franklin bridge. most people tonight will see the ball drop in new york city but my photographer and i tonight watched a mushroom rise. >> one, two -- >> reporter: in kennett square they count up, 100 feet up, raising the mushroom with a crane. i know what you're asking. why a mushroom? >> this is the mushroom capital of the world. 60% of all domestic mushrooms are grown in kennett square. >> reporter: rich nichols built this. there are 7500 lights and his wife told me yesterday it didn't work. >> we doubled the lights, we

doubled the program. >> reporter: this year, a laser light show high above our heads left kids like dominick depallter speechless. >> i think it's awesome. >> >> reporter: how about the lights? that, too. >> reporter: this is my hometown, for the kids it's their first time to see the mushroom so they're excited. >> reporter: on the ground a local treat, burgers by state street pizza and grill. don't you dare forget about the mushrooms, sauteed. for the kids, face painting. >> i asked for them to paint my eyebrows white and my mustache brown and some glasses on. >> reporter: the sidewalks were busy. couples, families, children, watching the big mushroom. >> it's pretty and i like how it has a lot of lights. >> reporter: celebrating a unique new year in kennett square. >> it's great. we grew up around here and it's fun to see the town grow.

>> reporter: the mushroom does end up dropping 100 feet. belmont plateau great place to watch the fireworks just 45 minutes away. live at the belmont plateau, keith jones, back to you, jackie. >> reporter: i have watched the fireworks from that very spot that keith is in right now and it's a great spot among many others and the weather is really cooperating nicely for the fireworks and tomorrow for the mummers parade. tomorrow on the mild side every day in the month of december above-normal temperatures. the warmest december ever recorded and as soon as we switch the calendar, it's starting to get colder. nothing brutal yet. dry stretch for quite a while. we won't see any rain drops or

snowflakes in the seven-day forecast. we have great visibility tonight. last night was nasty. can you imagine that weather. tonight with the fireworks and everything? we got lucky again. 43, not that cold. 10 mile an hour winds, feels like 37. colder than it has been but not very cold for new year's eve. 39 in allentown, pottstown and reading, not too bad. 37 in west chester. we have a little wind making it feel cooler and 50s are long gone and we may not see the 50s for quite a while now. the windchills are back in. feels like it's in the 30s everywhere. we start the mummers tomorrow morning in the 30s, gradually getting up to 40 as we see a little more sunshine but also the wind picks up a bit and that colder air as it comes in, it

will be settled in here for a while. as we go into early next week, there's a shot of arctic air coming into the northeast. we're getting on the edge of that so it will be cold for a couple days but that won't last. we'll see it ease up a bit as we head toward the middle and end of next week so a little bit of a taste of that winter chill coming up in the seven day. partly cloudy overnight tonight. high clouds around. 32 for the low in philadelphia. 29 north and west during the day tomorrow. becoming mostly sunny, briey, highs in the mid-40s, which is colder than it's been and it gets colder over the weekend but lots of sunshine, colder than that on monday and the coldest yet on tuesday. high only 32, lows in the suburbs and the teens then we slowly back back toward normal. >> i'm danny pommells from

comcast sports net. a ringing endorsement for the now-departed chip kelly from one of the best coaches of all time. we have the details coming up.

danny pommells with you once again. a source tells our derrick gunn the eagles are looking to add someone to their personnel department to work in conjunction with howie roseman and tom donahoe but it's unclear who would have say over personnel moves. this is a day after jeffrey lurie said the club would not hire a general manager so the title of this person is unknown. lurie stressed the importance of

a collaboration when it comes to building the eagles roster. they have to replace chip kelly as head coach but he got a ringing endorsement from arguably the best coach of all time, four-time super bowl winner bill belichick of the patriots. >> it's disappointing. chip kelly to me is a good football coach and he does a great job and he's done a good job with that team. he'll end up somewhere and do a great job there. a lot of the players that were on the eagles that are no longer on the eagles aren't doing too much for anybody else, either. >> i'm going to try to do a sports kwa scast with that mono voice. pat shurmur plans to carry on some of what kelly left behind in this final game in new york. >> we started something in motion here. the players are used to doing things a certain way and very many, many of the things we're doing is -- it's right so we'll try to keep it as business as

usual as it can be in a very odd week and put our best effort forward to beat the giants. >> no need to sugar coat it, we need a winner this city and that team is villanova. 16th ranked wildcats hosting sixth ranked xavier. the team has won 34 straight at the pa civilian, ryan archie a being reason why. he was making it rain. career high seven threes, a game high 27. the second half it's john harris with sprinkles on the vanilla cone. jimmys on the cone. nova hands xavier their first loss 95-64. final of the college football playoffs. clemson against oklahoma. desean watson didn't win the heisman and said maybe i should have. throws out, hits hunter renfro to the house. clemson wins the orange bowl 37-17. looks like they'll face alabama in the national title matchup.

that's sports. i'm danny pommells. we'll be right back.

final look at weather. >> i wore my fireworks bow tie just for tonight. >> you do have fireworks on there! >> once a year i wear it. now we have great weather for the fireworks, great weather for the mummers in the morning and dry weather for a week but it

will be colder early next week. >> i wish we could zoom in so people could see that. that's nbc 10 at 11:00. i'm jacqueline london. for glenn and all of us, thanks for spending your new year's eve with us. the republicans in harrisburg were fighting each other over the state budget. that's right. each other. the republican state senate passed a responsible budget that "begins" to fund education but the republican house of representatives has insisted on a budget that fails to fund education and balloons the deficit. call your legislator, tell them to pass a budget that's right for pennsylvania.

our regularly scheduled programming will not be seen so that we may bring you a very special new year's celebration. >> oh, andy, i love this time of year. >> me, too. >> this is going to be the best new year's ever. you're hosting live game night. >> and you're holding down the most important moment of the year from times square in new york city. >> what a great year. >> best one since 2014. >> so many moments. >> feels crazy. feels like we were there. >> what do you mean? andy, we were there. andy! this is awesome! >> i can't hear a word you're saying. >> we're actually on the field. ♪ >> look at us!