Wet weather dampens New Year's Eve profits for businesses at Grand Park celebration

An uncharacteristically rainy New Year's Eve dampened prospects for dozens of businesses and vendors set up at the annual Grand Park countdown on Saturday, drastically reducing the amount of people who showed up for the festivities. 

Local businesses hoping to get a kickstart to begin 2023 were expecting the usual turnout, with tens of thousands of Southern Californians flooding Grand Park to ring in the year, along with live music, food vendors and more. 

However, a constant downpour of rain limited those who turned up to the hundreds, in turn, costing those vendors who stocked up and prepared for the masses. 

Organizers claim that 6,000 people showed up to the event 

On top of the precipitation, event planners did not allow attendees to bring umbrellas, and there were limited areas with overhead cover, as they were hoping that all eyes would be on the stage and 3D light show displayed on L.A. City Hall. 

"It was not planned for that kind of weather, whatsoever," said Christina Hong, who operates Seoulmates, one of the many food trucks ready to serve guests. She noted that on top of adding more staff, she and her employees were prepping two days ahead of time to fulfill what they assumed would be high demand. "We definitely over-prepared."

As rain continued to fall throughout the evening, the weather worsened, with winds picking up and icy temperatures setting in. 

"There were moments where some of our neighbors tents went flying — stuck in the trees, down the street," Hong said. 

The big question after the evening's celebration is what the cost was for the vendors who battled through the elements, as organizers maintained that the show would go on rain or shine. 

"We lost some things, we can hold on to others. ... We just weren't prepared to have all this stuff at the end of the night," Hong said. "A lot of other food trucks, everyone in the hospitality industry, everyone suffered because they planned. It's kind of one of those things where we're all in this together."

While she has a more positive outlook on the situation, some of the other vendors at the event are said to have reached out to the City of Los Angeles to issue complaints, and some asking for refunds after the washout of a night — in more ways than one. 

The city and event organizers were unavailable when contacted for comment on the situation.