Rockport Village sparkled Dec. 31 from one end of Pascal Avenue all the way to the library on Central Street, with lights and luminaries lining streets, sidewalks, handrails, windows, widow’s walks and the sides of buildings. 

By 5:30 p.m., cars were jammed into every available nook and cranny, as New Year’s Eve revelers found vantage points rimming the harbor to watch what has become an annual tradition of early winter fireworks exploding over the harbor.

And they were not disappointed: For more than 20 minutes, the night sky was a backdrop for the bursting and falling of thousands of diamonds and stars. 

Crowds gathered at Marine Park, as well as on the east side of the harbor, finding perches on the Goose River Bridge, or on balconies and porches of nearby homes. The show started at 6 p.m., and had been preceded by an informal gathering at Marine Park, where food trucks serving pizza, poutine and pies became quickly popular and fire pits warmed the winter air.

The 2023 Holiday on the Harbor continued later in the evening up the hill at the Rockport Opera House for dancing with Creatures of Habit, a longtime favorite Midcoast band that always draws a crowd of fans. The band has been together for decades and is composed of musicians who grew up in the area. They are Elwood Doran, Rick Johnson, Phil Clement, Art Grinnell and Chris Cokinis, all who kept dancers joyfully on their feet until 2024 jubilantly arrived.