Cleanup begins after South Florida rings in 2019

MIAMI – Between the fireworks, the Big Orange and a Pitbull performance, it truly was quite the party Monday night in downtown Miami.

Bayfront Park was rocking as the massive crowds came together to usher in the new year in true South Florida style.

A New Year's wish was granted Monday night as thousands of people packed into Bayfront Park to party with Pitbull.

Mr. Worldwide lived up to his name, drawing an audience from around the globe.

"It's my first time here in Miami, so it's exciting for me," one partygoer said. 

"We're from Pennsylvania and we just wanted a good time, and Pitbull is a good time -- for free, too. When it's free, it's for me," another partier joked.

The other star of the show was the Big Orange, which steadily scaled to the top of the InterContinental Miami hotel until the stroke of midnight.

The second-by-second countdown on full display was accompanied with plenty of uniformed and undercover police officers making sure the crowd stayed safe. 

"We're going to have SWAT teams on top of these buildings -- a lot of SWAT. We're going to have marine patrols," Miami Commissioner Joe Corollo said before the event. 

The party continued in downtown Fort Lauderdale, where families gathered to watch the annual anchor drop.

More than 12,000 LED lights lit up the sky. 

People there were more than ready to say goodbye to 2018 and hello to a brand-new year.

"Nineteen is gonna rock," one person said. "Eighteen, nah. Nineteen is gonna be wonderful."

And for some, the party is just starting.

While the crowds were gone Tuesday at Bayfront Park, there is a lot of trash that remains.

City sanitation workers, as they do every year, were out there bright and early, cleaning up the aftermath. 

But overall, South Florida's events were for the most part very festive and safe New Year's celebrations.


About the Author:

Trent Kelly is an award-winning multimedia journalist who joined the Local 10 News team in June 2018. Trent is no stranger to Florida. Born in Tampa, he attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he graduated with honors from the UF College of Journalism and Communications.