Poland native Toby McAllister is no stranger to big crowds and New Year’s Eve parties. But, as a parent of two, the veteran musician is happy to have the party end by 9 p.m. these days.

McAllister and his band, the Sierra Sounds, will close out the night Wednesday at the 7th annual New Year’s Auburn celebration, which will kick off at 3 p.m. at Festival Plaza along Main Street.

The event will feature a beer garden, food trucks, three musical acts and will be capped off by fireworks over the Great Falls around 8:30 p.m.

McAllister, who still lives in Poland, has been playing music with some of his band members since seventh grade. He cut his teeth in the music business and toured the world with his band Sparks the Rescue, which recently headlined the State Theater in Portland, and he and the Sierra Sounds are constantly at venues around the state, leading singalongs with their unique blend of pop-punk and alt-country.

He said he attended a New Year’s Auburn event a few years ago when it was headlined by the Mallett Brothers Band, and had a blast. He hasn’t played a New Year’s event in a number of years, and it just so happened the city was looking for someone to close out the night.

“We’re really excited to do it,” he said.

The band recently released a new single and music video for a song titled “Bottom of a Bottle,” which depicts a raucous barn party that was filmed in Oxford, complete with a UFO appearance.

McAllister and crew are planning to bring that same infectious atmosphere to their set in downtown Auburn. McAllister said the setlist will feature plenty of songs that the crowd will know and will be expected to sing along to.

Jennifer Boenig, events and engagement manager for Auburn, said like previous editions, the event will feature several local breweries, and some new food truck options.

Blue Feather Kitchen & Bar, new this year, will offer some specialty cocktails, she said, along with breweries like Auburn’s own Craft Brew Underground, Gritty’s and Lost Valley Brewing, and well-known Maine breweries Geary Brewing and Nonesuch River Brewing.

New this year for food offerings are Mannie’s Philly 2 ME and KP’s Place, the latter of which Boenig said will be in the concession stand in Festival Plaza near the breweries, serving up hot chowders and stews. Food options will also include Alabama BBQ, Lucky Cat Coffee, Rollin’ in the Dough pizza, Mr. Sea’s and Tripps Farmhouse Café.

Starting the event off at 3 p.m. will be the band After Dark, followed by the ’90s tribute band Hello Newman, which hasn’t missed a New Year’s Auburn event yet. McAllister and the Sierra Sounds are scheduled to go on at 7 p.m.

“New Year’s Auburn might just be my favorite event,” Boenig said. “The crowd is always so energetic and happy with the promise of a new year.”

Auburn Mayor Jeff Harmon, who will attend this year’s event having recently been sworn in for a second term, said the annual New Year’s celebration is “a great opportunity for residents of Auburn and the surrounding communities to get together to listen to live music, eat great food and watch the fireworks to celebrate the new year.”

Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline, who attends New Year’s Auburn every year, said the New Year’s party is “a perfect holiday bookend” to Lewiston’s Holiday at the Plaza event.

“I’ll be headed over to wish Mayor Harmon and all our friends across the river best wishes for the new year,” he said.