US EditionWhere are the wackiest New Year's Eve drops in the US?
Cities celebrate regional identity by dropping themed items like fruits, seafood, and local brands, continuing a tradition inspired by the 1907 Times Square ball drop.
- This year, dozens of U.S. cities will ring in 2026 by dropping oversized fruits, vegetables, and sea creatures as playful alternatives to Times Square, New York City.
- Years ago the Times Square ball started the modern drop tradition, and many U.S. communities stage local drops using fruit symbolism in New Year's Eve customs for luck and wealth.
- Among the oddities are oversized food mascots and branded descents across small towns, including Bethlehem's 400-pound Peep chick and Lewistown's potato chip drop, to celebrate the new year.
- Communities say the drops boost civic pride and draw tourists, but live‑animal possum drops faced protests and court challenges while Tallapoosa, Georgia still holds a possum event and Spencer is used elsewhere.
- Communities are modernizing century‑old ideas with drones and durable sculptures, as Atlanta, Georgia replaces its peach drop with a digital drone peach and many switch from papier‑mâché prototypes to fiberglass fish.
98 Articles
98 Articles
NBC Dallas-Fort Worth
Where are the wackiest New Year's Eve drops in the U.S.?
Why let New York City have all the fun with its Times Square ball drop on New Year’s Eve? Dozens of places across the U.S. will ring in 2026 by dropping a quirky assortment of fruits, vegetables, sea creatures and balls of all shapes and sizes. Many have a hometown flair. There’s the giant cheese wedge in Plymouth, Wisconsin, a chile pepper in Las Cruces, New Mexico, a pinecone in Flagstaff, Arizona, and a conch shell in Key West, Florida. Penns…
Unique New Year's Eve Drops
New York City’s New Year’s Eve celebration is famous for the annual ball drop, but other cities and towns across the country have adopted their own unique traditions. In Nashville, they drop a giant music note to remind people it’s Music City. In Amelia Island, Florida, it’s a jumbo shrimp. Key West takes things a step further, dropping a big red high-heeled shoe with a drag queen in it. Whiting, Indiana, it’s a pierogi into a boiling cauldr…
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