Ball Drop Fun: 20 Wackiest New Year’s Eve Objects
The famous ball in Times Square isn't the only object dropped on New Year's Eve. Check out this list of crazy things dropped by other cities to ring in the new year!
Quick Reference: New Year’s Eve Drops
- What happens: at the stroke of midnight on December 31, towns lower a lighted object down a pole to ring in the new year, just like the Times Square ball drop.
- Where it started: the first Times Square ball descended on December 31, 1907, to welcome 1908.
- Who does it now: dozens of towns, from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (a giant Peep) to Key West, Florida (a conch shell).
- The state to beat: Pennsylvania hosts more offbeat drops than any other state.
- When to watch: midnight local time, so dress for the forecast if you plan to stand outside.
Each year at the stroke of midnight, New York City lowers its famous ball down the pole in Times Square to ring in the new year. The ball is not the only thing that drops when December 31 rolls over into January 1. Chicago and Fort Lauderdale run their own ball drops, but plenty of towns decided a plain ball was too ordinary and built a midnight tradition around whatever they are known for. Some are proud. Some are silly. All of them draw a crowd. Here is our list of the wackiest, plus a look at where the whole idea came from and why so many of these live in one state.
Where the Ball Drop Came From
The Times Square ball is younger than most people guess. The first one descended the flagpole atop One Times Square on December 31, 1907, to welcome 1908, after the city banned the fireworks that the newspaper’s owner had used the year before. It has dropped nearly every year since, pausing only in 1942 and 1943 during a wartime dimout, when the crowd rang in the year with a moment of silence and chimes instead. You can read the full timeline of the sphere, its lights, and its makeovers on the Times Square Ball reference page.
Once one town lowers a glowing object at midnight and the cameras show up, the neighbors start asking why they cannot do the same with something of their own. That is how a national tradition turned into a hundred local ones. If you like to plan the year around lucky timing, the Farmers’ Almanac Best Days Calendar marks the good dates to start something new.
The 20 Wackiest Objects Dropped on New Year’s Eve
1. Bologna (Lebanon, PA) – Nothing wasted! Lebanon bologna is a tangy, smoked Pennsylvania Dutch sausage, so the town lowers a giant version of its most famous export.
2. Big Cheese (Plymouth, WI) – Plymouth calls itself the Cheese Capital of the World, and a wheel of cheddar rides down the pole to prove it.
3. Pickle (Mount Olive, NC and Dillsburg, PA) – Mount Olive is home to a well-known pickle company, and Dillsburg leans into the pun with a drop of its own.
4. Gumbo Pot (New Orleans, LA) – A pot of the city’s signature dish sums up Louisiana in one steaming symbol.
5. Steamroller (Steelton, PA) – A steel town drops a steel machine. It fits.
6. Giant Peep (Bethlehem, PA) – Bethlehem is the home of the marshmallow Peep, so a giant glowing chick makes perfect sense at midnight.
7. Walleye Fish (Port Clinton, OH) – Port Clinton bills itself the Walleye Capital of the World, and its 20-foot fish, nicknamed Wylie, glides down to prove the point.
8. Wrench (Mechanicsburg, PA) – A wrench for a town named Mechanicsburg. The pun writes itself.
9. Sardine (Eastport, ME) – Eastport was once a hub for sardine canning, so a wooden sardine, paired with a maple leaf, marks midnight in the easternmost city in the country.
10. Cigar (Richland, PA) – A nod to the town’s old cigar-rolling trade.
11. Frog (Frogtown, PA) – When your town is named Frogtown, the choice is easy.
12. Wooden Duck (Havre de Grace, MD) – Havre de Grace is known for its decoy carving, so a hand-painted wooden duck is a fitting mascot.
13. Acorn (Raleigh, NC) – Raleigh is the City of Oaks, and its 1,250-pound copper acorn is one of the best known drops in the South.
14. Giant Crab (Easton, MD) – Nothing says the Chesapeake like a Maryland blue crab, lit up and lowered at the countdown.
15. Indy Car (Carlisle, PA) – Carlisle is a car-show town, so a race car standing in for the ball feels right at home.
16. Pear (Fredericksburg, VA) – A glowing pear rings in the year in this historic Virginia town.
17. Hog made of lights (Fayetteville, AR) – A lighted razorback for Razorback country. Main image by Jamie Seed.
18. Conch Shell (Key West, FL) – Locals call themselves Conchs, so a giant lighted shell over Duval Street is right on brand.
19. Olive (Bartlesville, OK) – A giant olive drops into a martini glass to start the year with a wink.
20. Opossum (Brasstown, NC) – (No animals injured!) This Appalachian tradition now uses an empty box or a decorated stand-in rather than a live animal.
Why Pennsylvania Drops the Most
Count the towns on the list and one state keeps coming up. Bologna, a steamroller, a giant Peep, a wrench, a cigar, a frog, an Indy car, and half a pickle all belong to Pennsylvania. The state has more of these small-town drops than anywhere else, each one tied to a local product, a factory, or a good pun. Pennsylvania is the winner with the most interesting “drops” around the state, from the Poconos to the Susquehanna Valley.
Why Towns Drop Strange Things
These drops are equal parts civic pride and free advertising. A town known for cheese, walleye, or pickles gets one night a year when a camera points at the thing it makes, and the whole main street turns out to watch. The object is usually a mascot for the local trade, which is why the fish comes down in a fishing port and the crab comes down on the Chesapeake. It is a warm, low-cost way to gather neighbors on a cold night, and if you are traveling to see one, keep an eye on our long-range forecast so you can dress for the countdown. And if a bigger garden landed on your list of New Year’s resolutions, our Gardening by the Moon Calendar will help you start the season on the right day.
Do you know of, or have you seen, any other “drops” on New Year’s Eve? Tell us in the comments below!
New Year’s Eve Drops: Frequently Asked Questions
Why do cities drop objects on New Year’s Eve?
The custom copies the Times Square ball drop, but towns swap in an object that stands for their local trade or claim to fame. It is a mix of civic pride and free publicity, and it gives neighbors a reason to gather on a cold night. That is why Plymouth drops cheese and Port Clinton drops a walleye.
When did the Times Square ball drop tradition start?
The first ball descended the flagpole atop One Times Square on December 31, 1907, to welcome 1908. It has dropped nearly every year since, pausing only in 1942 and 1943 during a wartime dimout.
Which state has the most New Year’s Eve drops?
Pennsylvania. The state hosts more offbeat drops than any other, including bologna in Lebanon, a steamroller in Steelton, a giant Peep in Bethlehem, a wrench in Mechanicsburg, a cigar in Richland, a frog in Frogtown, and an Indy car in Carlisle.
What is the strangest object dropped on New Year’s Eve?
It depends on your taste. A gumbo pot in New Orleans, a giant sardine in Eastport, and a marshmallow Peep in Bethlehem all make strong cases. Brasstown, North Carolina, once lowered an opossum, though the town now uses a stand-in rather than a live animal.
What time do New Year’s Eve drops happen?
At midnight local time, the same moment the Times Square ball reaches the bottom of its pole. Because the countdown follows each town’s own clock, you can watch several drops in one night by hopping across time zones on television.
Are any animals harmed in the drops?
No. The Brasstown opossum drop drew attention over the years, and the tradition now uses an empty box or a decorated stand-in rather than a live animal. The rest of the objects on this list are made of wood, metal, glass, or lights.
This article was published by the Staff at FarmersAlmanac.com. Any questions? Contact us at questions@farmersalmananac.com.
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
Tucson drops a big Taco on New Years Eve at the Taco Bell New Year’s Eve Downtown Bowl Bash! The taco is usually created by local artists.
Hackettstown NJ just started dropping a large red M&M since we’re one of two headquarters in the country for the candy!
That sounds tasty! Love it! Thank you for sharing.
Water Valley, Mississippi drops a Crappie (location of the largest crappie fished in the world)
The Possum Drop in Tallapoosa, Georgia is one of the largest NYE Drops in the Southeast. No Live Animals are used, it is a Stuffed Possum.
Attendance for NYE 2023 exceeded 15k people in the small West GA town with a population of less than 3500. The event features Live Music, Fireworks Display, Carnival Rides, Food Vendors and Much More. Visit their website for details: http://www.thepossumdrop.com
Folly Beach, SC had the Flip Flop Drop.
Krumpe’s Donut in Hagerstown, MD
On Folly Beach, SC we do a flop drop!
I just posted that. Lol
Giant sugar beet in Rupert, ID
Beer keg – Greensboro, NC
In Moultrie, Georgia they throw a head of cabbage from the top of the courthouse to the ground below. Moultrie is the Cabbage Capital of Georgia.