Photos: Noon Year’s Eve pool party

Children celebrated the arrival of 2026 early with a pool party at the Mercer Park Aquatic Center in Iowa City on Wednesday.

Savannah Blake

Dec. 31, 2025 2:31 pm, Updated: Dec. 31, 2025 3:27 pm

Emma Ritter, 10, of Iowa City looks up as beach balls are dropped from a lift into the pool during the Noon Year’s Eve celebration at Mercer Park Aquatic Center in Iowa City on Wednesday. Children scrambled to collect as many beach balls as they could hold. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

City of Iowa City employee Brennan Russell throws beach balls from a lift into the pool for children to grab at noon during the Noon Year’s Eve celebration at Mercer Park Aquatic Center in Iowa City on Wednesday. The event allowed children to swim and take part in a noon beach ball drop to welcome in 2026 before bedtime. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

Ira Swartzendruber, 10, of Iowa City tries to collect as many red, white and blue beach balls as he can fit into his arms during the Noon Year’s Eve celebration at Mercer Park Aquatic Center in Iowa Cityon Wednesday. The event allowed children to swim and take part in a noon beach ball drop to welcome in 2026 before bedtime. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

Duncan Zielstorf, 8, of Iowa City blows his party blower at his friend while taking a break from swimming to celebrate the new year during the Noon Year’s Eve celebration at Mercer Park Aquatic Center in Iowa City on Wednesday. The event allowed children to swim and take part of a noon beach ball drop to welcome in 2026 before bedtime. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

Children count down from 10 to celebrate the beach ball drop at noon at Mercer Park Aquatic Center in Iowa City on Wednesday. The event allowed children to swim, play with friends and welcome in 2026 before bedtime. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

Children swim around trying to gather beach balls that were dropped during the Noon Year’s Eve celebration at Mercer Park Aquatic Center in Iowa City on Wednesday. The event allowed children to swim and take part in a noon beach ball drop to welcome in 2026 before bedtime. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

Isola Hale, 3, of Iowa City reacts as she gets help putting on her goggles before going swimming during the Noon Year’s Eve celebration at Mercer Park Aquatic Center in Iowa City on Wednesday. The event allowed children to swim and take part of a noon beach ball drop to welcome in 2026 before bedtime. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

Parents react as their children jump into the pool after the noon beach ball drop during the Noon Year’s Eve celebration at Mercer Park Aquatic Center in Iowa City on Wednesday. The event allowed children to swim and take part of a noon beach ball drop to welcome in 2026 before bedtime. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

City of Iowa City employee Brennan Russell raises a lift up with hundred of beach balls to throw into the pool during the Noon Year’s Eve celebration at the Mercer Park Aquatic Center in Iowa City on Wednesday. The event allowed children to swim and take part of a noon beach ball drop to welcome in 2026 before bedtime. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

Lydia Ritter, 8, of Iowa City throws up her hands to try and catch more beach balls as they are dropped into the pool during the Noon Year’s Eve celebration at Mercer Park Aquatic Center in Iowa City on Wednesday. Children counted down from 10 to welcome in the new year and hundreds of beach balls were dumped into the pool for them to play with. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

Isola Hale, 3, of Iowa City reacts after getting a beach ball during the noon drop to celebrate 2026 as her mother, Ashton Strickland of Iowa City, holds her at Mercer Park Aquatic Center in Iowa City on Wednesday. The event allowed children to swim and take part of a noon beach ball drop to welcome in 2026 before bedtime. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

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