Unique New Year’s Eve Drops

In a few short days, close to a million people will be flocking to New York City to watch the famous New Year’s Eve Ball drop from One Times Square. At 11:59, these people, along with another billion TV viewers from around the world, will begin counting down toward the stroke of midnight signaling January 1, 2017.

If you are not among the 1,000,000 people visiting New York City on New Year’s Eve, there may be another way for you to be part of the festivities. Many cities and towns around the country (especially in Central PA) host their own New Year’s celebrations complete with item “drops” that are unique to their heritage.

Look through our below list of some fun New Year’s Eve drops, or check with your local visitor center to see if there are any special celebrations happening near you!

15 Unique New Year’s Eve Drops

1. Apple – Manhattan, KS

   Each year more than 10,000 residents gather to watch a brightly lit apple drop in honor of the city’s nickname, “Little Apple.”

   Celebrate the New Year Manhattan-style with this recipe for Apple Charlottes!

2. Bologna – Lebanon, PA

   Famous for its Pennsylvania Dutch-style cured meat, this town lowers a 16-foot Lebanon Bologna to celebrate the new year!

3. Button – Carlisle, PA

   Check out First Night Carlisle for a fun celebration including music, improvisation, fireworks, and their famous dropping of the button (designed each year by a lucky elementary schooler).

4. Cheese – Plymouth, WI

   Plymouth, WI celebrates its title of “Cheese Capital of the World” by lowering a giant block of cheese at midnight.

5. Hershey’s Kiss™ – Hershey, PA

   Famous for its namesake chocolate brand, this town raises a giant Hershey’s Kiss replica followed by a fireworks display at midnight.

   Express your love of chocolate by making this Chocolate Bread Pudding for your NYE party!

6. Key – Frederick, MD

   This town in Maryland drops a 5 x 2.5-foot wooden key from a suspension bridge in honor of the town’s founder, Francis Scott Key, author of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

7. Marshmallow Peep® – Bethlehem, PA

   Just Born Quality Confections hosts an annual two-day New Year’s Eve festival where they drop a 4.5-foot tall, 85-pound lit replica of their iconic PEEPS® Chick at 5:15 p.m.

8. Music Note – Nashville, TN

   Nashville, nicknamed “Music City,” drops a glowing music note to celebrate the New Year, along with a free concert and fireworks.

9. Peach – Atlanta, GA

   As capitol of the “Peach State,” it makes sense that Atlanta would host a large New Year’s celebration complete with the dropping of a giant peach.

   How about some homemade Peach Cobbler to celebrate 2016 Georgia-style!

10. Pickle – Dillsburg, PA & Olive, North Carolina

    These two towns each drop their own replica of a giant pickle; Dillsburg as a play on its name; and Mt. Olive in honor of the Mt. Olive Pickle Company who was founded there.

11. Pinecone – Flagstaff, AZ

    Inspired by the Ponderosa Pine forests surrounding the town, Flagstaff lowers a 6-foot, lighted, aluminum pinecone to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

12. Potato – Boise, ID

    For the 4^th year in a row, Idaho’s state capitol will be dropping a giant potato.

13. Strawberry – Harrisburg, PA

    Stop by downtown Harrisburg on December 31^st for some live DJ entertainment, a strawberry drop, and fireworks to follow.

14. Wrench – Mechanicsburg, PA

    This town in central Pennsylvania drops a galvanized steel wrench in front of its local fire station to commemorate its founders – mechanics who settled the area in the early 19^th

15. Yellow Breeches – Lower Allen Township, PA

    As a play on its “Yellow Breeches Creek,” this township drops a 5-foot tall pair of yellow breeches at midnight.

Saying Goodbye to 2016

Here are some of our favorite recipes from 2016 that would be perfect for your New Year’s celebration!

No matter how you choose to celebrate the coming of the new year, we hope you take a moment to reflect with your friends and family. Reflect on the past year and think about the cherished memories and experiences you had in 2016, and look forward to 2017 with hope for an even better year-to-come.

Happy New Year from the Martin family and all of us here at Martin’s Famous Pastry Shoppe, Inc.

---

Sources:

http://www.visitpa.com/media/story-idea/new-year-eve-pennsylvania
http://mentalfloss.com/article/32058/36-bizarre-things-ceremonially-dropped-new-year%E2%80%99s-eve
http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/30/travel/things-to-do-new-years-eve-feat/index.html