Wishes Abound at the Times Square New Year’s Eve Wall
This week, hundreds gathered at the annual New Year’s Eve Wishing Wall in Times Square, expressing hopes and dreams that felt very relatable—like hopes for better fitness, romance, and even a world without AI.
Yes, the urge to eliminate artificial intelligence found its way onto small squares of tissue paper at the Wishing Wall, which has been open since December 1 and attracts visitors from across the globe.
These wishes will join around 3,000 pounds of confetti that volunteers will release into the night sky when the ball drops at midnight on December 31.
The wall, located on Broadway between West 45th and 47th Streets, has accumulated an impressive 183,000 wishes, including those submitted online.
Many individuals aim to enrich their lives with desires like “I want to read more books,” “I want to achieve my ideal body,” and “I want to find love.”
Then, there are those who dream of material gains, wishing for a “new car,” “new house,” or even a “new set of glasses.”
A few submissions voiced specific wishes about New York City itself, such as “No more potholes,” “I hope my favorite restaurants stay open,” and “For 311 to be effective.”
On Monday, young gymnast Leah Frisbie, who is just 11, shared her aspiration to master aerials on the wall.
“It’s like a cartwheel, just without the hands,” she explained, hailing from Athens, Pennsylvania.
High schooler Alaina Small, 15, from Nashua, New Hampshire, also had athletic dreams. She expressed her goal to win the New Hampshire D1 Basketball Championship, having played basketball since she was four.
College students visiting the wall also contributed their own wishes for self-improvement and lasting relationships.
“Lose weight” was the simple goal shared by Sawyer Brooks, a 21-year-old from the University of Alabama. He reflected, “Losing weight gave me more confidence, and I woke up each day feeling better about myself.”
Emma Kate Sohoski, a 21-year-old student at Florida Gulf Coast University, celebrated her 13-month anniversary with her boyfriend, writing their names on confetti along with a heart, proclaiming, “Let’s spend 2026 together.”
The romantic atmosphere continued with a newly engaged couple. Jason Hrudina from Raleigh, North Carolina, visited Paige Degner Williamson, who had recently proposed at the Rockefeller Center ice rink.
Hrudina, a father to a 15-year-old daughter, and Degner Williamson, who has two teenage daughters, expressed a hope for their blended family. “We’re trying to figure out the logistics since they go to different high schools,” said Degner Williamson, 48. “I just hope we can spend our lives together happily as a family.”
