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Derek Dyer let out a sigh on Wednesday as his massive MirrorBall — the centerpiece of Salt Lake City's three-day EVE Winterfest celebration — was successfully lifted into place high above the Calvin L. Rampton Salt Place Convention Center's south plaza.

"It's a huge sense of relief ," said the Utah artist as he watched the ball glitter in the evening light. "Now I'm excited to share it with the city."

All that was left was to wait until midnight. That's when a light -and-laser show would reflect off the ball , lighting up nearby buildings and the night sky.

Dyer and a team of more than four dozen volunteers worked two months to create the ball, which was built with 1,200 mirrors — each one 12 inches square. With a circumference of more than 60 feet and weighing in at 2,433 pounds, the massive installation is considered the largest mirrored sphere in the United States.

This year, the Downtown Alliance, which sponsors EVE, decided to ditch its usual fireworks display and offer an alternative that didn't contribute to Utah's winter pollution problems.

"Anytime you try something new, you're taking a risk. But this far exceeds our expectation," said Jason Mathis, the Alliance's executive director, after the MirrorBall was lifted. During test runs, he said the light show that reflected off buildings and could be seen for several blocks was "magical."

On Monday, EVEgoers were able to climb inside the ball for photos and, on Tuesday, the guests could see it spinning on its UFO -type base in the plaza. It wasn't until Wednesday afternoon that Wagstaff Crane Service lifted it into the air. The company was just one of several local businesses that donated supplies and labor to make the $50,000 sparkling ball possible.

Mathis said the Alliance plans to use the MirrorBall for at least five years, making it the same price as fireworks — which cost about $10,000 per year.

While not necessarily original — cities in other countries have used large-scale light shows with disco balls for celebrations — most attendees seemed to be satisfied. "I was kind of looking forward to fireworks," admitted Melissa Chapman of American Fork. "But when I heard why they weren't doing them I was okay with it."

Elke Opsahl had similar feelings. "I'm all for clean air," she said, as her three young children played nearby, "So anything they can to improve it is great."

The decision to forgo New Year's Eve fireworks earned the Downtown Alliance a Compassionate Action Award from People for The Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). "By leaving fireworks off the holiday agenda, Salt Lake City is sparing wild animals — as well as dogs and cats — potential suffering and even death from fleeing in terror from the explosions," PETA's Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch said in a news release.