Celebration featured over 500 pallets for extended burn as crowds welcome 2025 with community
NORTH COUNTY — Thousands came together at the center of Paso Robles to ring in the New Year on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. The third annual New Year’s Eve Bonfire in Paso Robles City Park welcomed live music and entertainment under the festive holiday lights.
This is the city’s third year hosting the event since taking a pause during the COVID pandemic. Expecting an even larger crowd than years prior, the event extended to half of City Park.
Paso Robles Fire Department Administrative Fire Captain Paramedic Ross Porter told Paso Robles Press about other changes to the event: “We added more food trucks, more drink trucks. We added some pyro, spectacular fireworks for the countdown … and we also added more pallets for the bonfire hoping to get a longer burn.”
Sitting next to the play structure, Paso Robles firefighters blocked off an area where a pyramid of pallets were build to be burned throughout the event. Throughout the year, local businesses donate pallets, which are then collected by the Public Works Department about three months in advance. Porter says that last year about 350 pallets were collected, and this year the city received well over 500 pallets.
Photos by Camille DeVaul/PRP
During the event, Porter said, “We’re trying to make a longer burn this time. Last year, one of the lessons we learned is that it went too fast … with the extra pallets and the different configuration of the pile, we’re trying to make it last a little longer.”
Planning for the bonfire begins about six months in advance, which includes planning the different safety precautions taken for the fire.
“I have an engine on standby just in case anything happens,” Porter said. “We’ve learned from years past what the clearances are and we make sure that the fence is big enough for that. And we’ve taken precautions with the trees and lights and infrastructure within the park to make sure we don’t damage anything.”
Last year brought in about 5,000 people from all over the county to City Park to ring in the New Year. Aligning with the East Coast timeline, a countdown celebrated the New Year at 9 p.m. and the event concluded at 11 p.m. Porter says the city was prepared for even more people to come to the bonfire with calls coming in from outside the area about the event and hotels filling up to the brim. Restaurants and bars surrounding the park were packed with patrons and families even set up picnic spots throughout the park, soaking up the glow of the fire and holiday lights.
“I just hope it brings joy and peace and love,” said Porter of the event. “And this is a fun event. It’s one of those events where we bring in the new year and everybody’s having a good time … It’s just a feel good, have fun event.”
Photos by Camille DeVaul/PRP
