This blog post was updated on August 3, 2018.
Hordes flock to the East to see the ball drop on New York’s Times Square. And while tradition is all fine and well, many other cities and towns across the United States have attempted to lure the masses away from the big city’s bright ball drop for more out-there object drops on the last day of the year. It comes as no surprise that a great deal of those weird and wacky New Year’s Eve drops can be found in the South of the USA. If you are in the mood for some milder weather this New Year’s Eve, consider heading down south for these quirky New Year’s Eve drops.
Moon Pie Over Mobile (Mobile, Alabama): If you can’t resist the marshmallow sweetness of a moon pie, Mobile, Alabama might be the perfect spot for your New Year’s Eve celebration. The city drops a giant, 600lb electronic moon pie from its 34-story RSA BankTrust building. Set up on the corner of St. Joseph and St. Francis Streets in downtown Mobile, the event features more than just the excitement of watching a moon pie fall from the sky. Building up to the descending moon pie drop are parades, performances and plenty of fireworks.
Fly-N-Hog Drop (Fayetteville, Arkansas): It is no secret that the people of Fayetteville and the state of Arkansas have a thing for red hogs. The University of Arkansas Razorback mascot can be found on everything from license plates to garden hog gnomes. It comes as no surprise then that Fayetteville, Arkansas hosts the Fly-N-Hog Drop, the midnight drop of a locally 8.5 foot sculpted hog. Part of the Last Night Fayetteville celebration, the hog drop sets up in the Fayetteville Square on New Year’s Eve. The event includes local musicians, performance artists and yes, even a Giant Puppet Parade for good measure. The Last Night Fayetteville celebration claims of being the largest New Year’s Eve celebration in Arkansas. When hogs fly, you know it’s New Year’s Eve in this town.
http://www.lastnightfayetteville.com
The Raleigh Acorn Drop (Raleigh, North Carolina): As the largest New Year’s Eve celebration in eastern North Carolina, it is to be expected that the object drop must also be large. Each year, Raleigh rings in the New Year with the Acorn Drop, a part of its First Night Raleigh celebration. The 1,250 lb steel and copper acorn falls from City Plaza at midnight, accompanied by other evens like live music performances and activities. The acorn is not purely random. Raleigh is known as the City of Oaks.
http://firstnightraleigh.com
The Peach Drop (Atlanta, Georgia): They say there is nothing sweeter than a Georgia peach. However you might not want to take a bite out of this Georgia peach. In its 24th year, the Peach Drop takes place in Atlanta, making for the largest New Year’s Eve celebration in the southeast. The 800 lb peach descends from the main stage at Underground Atlanta, complimented by a firework display. This peach is composed of fiberglass and foam, measuring 8 feet tall and 8 feet wide. If you are wondering how it never rots, each year it receives a little paint and refurbishment.
http://www.peachdrop.com/
The Pensacola Pelican Drop (Pensacola, Florida): For the 50,000 that gathers in Pensacola, watching a pelican descend from a 100-foot platform is the appropriate way to ring in the New Year. Hailed as the biggest free New Year’s Eve celebration on the coast, the Pensacola Pelican Drop features a 14-foot tall, 20-foot wingspan pelican falling from the sky at the intersection of Palafox and Government Streets. This pelican flies at midnight along with surrounding fireworks and confetti.
http://www.pensacolapelicandrop.com
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PhotoL: Sean MacEntee
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