Ring in the New Year with Midnight on Main at Dow Diamond

Dow Diamond magically transforms from a baseball stadium to an upscale event venue for the annual Midnight on Main New Year’s Eve party on Dec. 31. The party includes a DJ, live music, food, drinks, a midnight ball drop and fireworks.

The event started out back in 2011 as an outdoor event held on Main Street every year. Due to unpredictable weather and logistics, Sound Productions took over the event, and has grown it since. Behind the scenes, Sound Productions Entertainment President Jim Paetschow and his crew are busy planning and setting up the event so Midland has a unique place to ring in 2024.

“Every year just gets better and better...”“This is the 12th year of Midnight on Main, our indoor event at Dow Diamond in Downtown Midland,” Paetschow says. “Sound Productions partners with Dow Diamond, City of Midland, the Downtown Development Authority, Dow Credit Union, and DW Auto Sales. A lot of the community gets together to help put this thing together.”

Live music will be provided by Jedi Mind Trip on the third baseline, and a DJ will be on the first base side. A large nightclub is built inside the venue, with a sectioned-off sports bar and a 10-foot TV in the middle plate, and a VIP section upstairs. “Jedi Mind Trip has a good draw, and people like them. They bring in some guests that get on stage to sing with them, and they do a great job with us,” Paetschow says. 
A DJ will be located on the 1st base side of Dow Diamond at Midnight on Main.
No matter the weather, rain or snow, your snazzy, sparkly, party outfits will remain safe from the elements since the event is indoors.

“At midnight, the ball drops and the fireworks display starts right after. It’s 70 degrees inside a heated concourse at Dow Diamond,” Paetschow says. “It’s a big party with 15-hundred people having a good time. It’s fun to watch people dress up, come out and enjoy themselves.”

Behind the scenes, Paetschow says it takes a lot of work to transform the sports-centered space to a nightclub atmosphere. “It takes our production team of eight guys a week to put this together,” he says. “It becomes a grand-scale, high-end nightclub. There’s a ton of work to do from all the lighting, sound stages, and video walls.”

The event is operating like a well-oiled machine, and Paetschow says everything will be very similar to last year’s successful event. Year after year, the event gets a bit more streamlined to make sure everything flows a bit better. 

“Every year just gets better and better,” Paetschow says. “Last year’s event was good, there were lots of people, about 15-hundred people on average. They come out, dress up, and have a great time.”

"It’s fun to watch people dress up, come out and enjoy themselves.”The event is for ages 21 and up, and Paetschow says anyone from mid-twenties to mid-sixties typically shows up to celebrate the end of the year. There are three separate ticket tiers. VIP tickets are $150 and all-inclusive, including exclusive access to a club-level with dinner, and bar and champagne toast at midnight. There are 200 VIP tickets available, and Paetschow says it’s getting close to being sold out. There are fast pass tickets for $85, including four drink tickets, and a separate fast pass line at the bars. The general admission tickets are $30. Free parking is available in the lot south of the stadium. Tickets are available online.