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New Year’s Eve at Guymon’s Hitch Arena rodeo building: Theirs is some six feet in diameter; Guymon’s is more than 10. Theirs comes with no heat, Guymon’s comes with real fire barrels and even a building. Theirs is only an outdoor event, Guymon’s is both indoors and outdoors, so you can come and go in and out as you please.

After several years of brutal weather, this year’s New Year’s Eve ball drop offers a building to house the band and serve as a warming hut.  Free foods come with your tickets: Grilled and marinated pork on a stick, Hardesty Cheese beer cheese soup, hot wings and drumsticks, cold beer, sodas and decorations.

Director Alysha Locke has her reasons why she hopes many will come to this year’s ball drop:  “Because it will be better than New York City – you’ll be with our friends, indoors, looking at new artwork and supporting your local community.”

Advance tickets are just $5 and can be purchased at TBA Lodestar, TBA Allstate, Wild Horse Gallery and Panhandle Printing. It’s $8 at the door and the event runs from 9 p.m. until midnight.

The best $5 value is Artist Incubation’s 2009 New Year’s Eve Ball Drop and $25,000 champagne toast, sponsored in part by Guymon Convention and Tourism.