Tulsans Head Downtown To Welcome 2013

Excitement for the New Year is building in downtown Tulsa on Monday.

Just down the street from the city's big ball drop at Second Street and Frankfort Avenue, the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame is getting ready for a musical celebration.

The Depot will open its doors at 8 p.m. for a night of live jazz performances and a champagne toast at midnight. Tickets are $20.

Anyone ringing in the New Year downtown can ride the trolley for free.

It will be running until 2 a.m. in the Brady District, Deco District and Blue Dome District.

12/31/2012 Related Story: Tulsans To Count Down To New Year At Masquerade Ball

However, "The Party" New Year's Eve organizers hit a wet road block Monday morning.

"We've been working all weekend and then came in today to a leaky roof," Lisa Hardin, e2 Worldwide, Inc. President said.

This warehouse is the home of a special VIP party.

Earlier it was decorated with puddles all over the floor.

"We've had to improvise some stuff, but you know with an event, you just kind of roll with the punches and you know something's always going to go wrong and you just make it work," Hardin said.

Every year e2 donates all money from this party to a special charity.

This year Cancer Sucks gets the cash.

"All his money goes to research for cancer, and so it just felt like a really worthy cause and something that would keep the money here in Tulsa, which I wanted to do," Hardin said.

When party-goers came in, they left a special note on this board for loved ones who lost their battle with cancer.

"I really support that and that's something that's close to me personally," Nathan DePaulo said.

DePaulo is part of the sound crew, and his job is to help put on the outside entertainment.

"We're setting up all our mains and subwoofers and monitors for the band," he said.

"We were able to get things going pretty fast," DePaulo said. "Speakers went up in a hurry and we're catching up. We're almost back on track as far as the schedule that we had planned."

We The Ghost rocked out all night long as Tulsans rang in 2013.

"Tonight's going to be wonderful," DePaulo said. "I think the weather has let up and it's actually going to be as pleasant as a New Year's can be here in Tulsa."