AUBURN — It was an hour before sunset and Festival Plaza was rocking.

Live music thumped from the stage and already several dozen were there for the New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Some danced. Others mingled. Many crowded around tables to taste some of the beer and food offered up at the increasingly popular New Year’s Auburn bash.

“I come for the atmosphere,” said Kate Schnopp, huddled under a heat lamp with her family. “For the vibe. It’s safe here and they put on a great show. I just love feeling the camaraderie of the whole community getting together like this.”

It was the second year in row Schnopp came to the party. Her father, Tommy O’Connell, of Wales, was experiencing it for the first time. A musician with the Juke Joint Devil Band, typically he is off playing at one gig or another for the holiday.

“I know a few people who are playing here tonight, so I came down to support then,” O’Connell said. “It’s always great to come down and see people you know; especially if you haven’t seen them in a while.”

As he chatted, the band After Dark was banging out Billy Idol’s “Mony, Mony.” The atmosphere was already festive and several partygoers were dancing raucously before the stage.

The beer garden and food trucks are always a draw for the New Year’s Eve celebration, but a lot of people come for the music.

For Rick Bellemare, of Lewiston, it was all of those things. In his hand he clutched a Blood Orange beer from Lost Valley Brewing. The wide variety of brews is one of the things he loves about this event.

“But I really love the live music, too,” Bellemare said. “And just seeing so many people getting together, that’s what I really like.”

As After Dark belted out song after song, the crowds were growing thicker in Festival Plaza. Some arrived just in time to see ’90s tribute band Hello Newman take the stage. After them, it was Poland native Toby McAllister and his band, the Sierra Sounds.

For seven years now Auburn’s New Year bash has been rocking Festival Plaza and for some — especially parents and grandparents — it’s truly the best game in town.

“They put this on for everyone,” said Debbie Bellemare, Rick’s wife. “It’s free and you can bring your kids along.”

And as several emphasized with glee, nobody goes hungry or thirsty at New Year’s Auburn.

Blue Feather Kitchen & Bar, new to the festival this year, offered specialty cocktails. Then there were the 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.

Food options were vast as always. On hand were familiar food trucks Alabama BBQ, Lucky Cat Coffee, Rollin’ in the Dough pizza, Mr. Sea’s and Tripps Farmhouse Café while Mannie’s Philly 2 ME and KP’s Place were working the festival for the first time.

So popular is the Auburn event, it even enticed Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline from across the bridge. He even made a giant new friend at Nutty Nettie’s Cafe, located right at the start of the festival grounds.

“The cold isn’t stopping anyone from having fun,” he said, “and if you walk into Nutty Netties for a hot coffee, you’ll be greeted by the the biggest Yeti you’ve ever seen.”

Main Street, as always, was blocked off by burly city trucks to accommodate the festival. Crowds grew thicker by the minute and as darkness fell, it was shoulder-to-shoulder in some areas.

For some, the fact that the festival doesn’t grind on into the wee hours is a plus. The city planned to ring in the new year well before midnight, with fireworks about 8:30 p.m.

“It starts at a good time and ends at a good time,” Schnopp said. “There’s music and food and everything you need. You just have to stay warm and plan to have a good time.”