South Florida NYE preparations are underway

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (WSVN) -- We are just hours away from a new year and party preps are in full swing! South Florida is getting ready to ring in 2013 in a big way.

Before the ball drops and the orange goes up above Downtown Miami Monday night, there's daylight family fun to be had. "It's supposed to be a gorgeous day tomorrow," said Junior Orange Bowl Parade Organizer Kathleen Kauffman, "and it's the end of holiday break for kids and families and it's a good way to wrap up your break."

Almost everything is in place for the Junior Orange Bowl Parade. "A couple of days before the parade it gets pretty intense," said Kathleen. "They started setting up the grand stands about two or three days ago, getting it ready for the banners that are going to go up tomorrow morning."

Shriners, horses, hip-hop groups also rocked the Junior Orange Bowl Parade. Zoo Miami's Communications Director Ron Magill was the grand marshall. "I grew up watching this parade as a little kid. This things been going on-- I think it's the 64th annual parade. I get this call to be the grand marshal. Are you kidding me? I can't believe it," he exclaimed.

Magill brought a large snake named Fluffy along with him. "When you look at kids and their eyes turn into the size of saucers when they see a snake like this. And they're like, 'Oh wow,'" he said. "This is what this beautiful parade is about. It engages children into the magic of the holiday season."

And to put the "nut" in Coconut Grove, The King Mango Strut Parade called all the crazies and their costumes. "It's something really different than anything we've ever attended before," said a man who attended the parade.

Everyone showed up in costumes to mock some of the dumbest moves that made news this year year. "I'm making fun of everybody and everything that happens in the year," said reveler Kathy Feishman.

Setting the stage has been almost a week-long project at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach where they are getting ready to host the all day and all night show featuring Drake. "Where else could you celebrate New Year's Eve at a 22-acre resort, outdoor poolscape," said Food & Beverage Vice President of the Fontainebleau, Jeffrey Klein.

The SLS Hotel is mixing the perfect holiday cocktail. They're getting ready to serve partygoers at $16 a pop.

Mr. 305 himself will rock the stage inside the American Airlines Arena all night New Year's Eve.

In Fort Lauderdale, they'll be testing the lights and drop the 825-pound illuminated ball this weekend. "11:59, that's when I start the ball drop," said a volunteer. "And then wherever the ball is at, at exactly midnight I stop it."

Everything must be perfectly in place for the final countdown.

A lot of the events going on leading up to New Year's Eve, and some of the ones on New Year's Eve themselves are outdoor and a lot of them are free.

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