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These are the craziest things dropping this New Year's Eve

Possums, crabs and pickles are among the objects ringing in 2020
Lydia Schrandt

December 18, 2019 // By Lydia Schrandt

By Lydia Schrandt
December 18, 2019

 

Balls aren't the only things that drop on New Year's EveBalls aren't the only things that drop on New Year's Eve — Photo courtesy of iStock / Jovanmandic

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We've all watched the ball drop in Times Square in New York to ring in the New Year, but the Big Apple celebration is just one of numerous festivities around the country. From coast to coast, cities drop all kinds of things to count down to midnight. From beach balls to buzzards, here are ten of this year's drops.

1. Sushi the Drag Queen | Key West, Florida

A photo posted by Italomenico (@roberino14) on Jan 1, 2016 at 10:32am PST

Each year during the NYE celebration at Bourbon Street Pub in Key West, a drag queen named Sushi is lowered while perched in a giant red sparkling shoe.

2. Spencer the possum | Tallapoosa, Georgia

A photo posted by Sam (@srock24) on Dec 31, 2015 at 6:49pm PST

In this West Georgia community, a stuffed possum named Spencer encased in twinkle lights is lowered from the American Hometown Realty building – one of the oldest in the city. Fun fact: Tallapoosa was once called Possum Snout.

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3. Grapes | Temecula, Caliornia

A photo posted by In The Loop (@inthelooptemecula) on Dec 31, 2015 at 7:01pm PST

In fitting fashion, the town of Temecula in California Wine Country drops an illuminated bunch of grapes to ring in the New Year.

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4. Bob the buzzard | Perry, Georgia

A photo posted by Perry CVB (@perrycvb) on Dec 30, 2014 at 4:34pm PST

Hundreds of buzzards spend their winter months in the town of Perry, and as a nod to these birds, the town rings in the New Year with the annual Perry Buzzard Drop.

5. A glowing pickle | Mount Olive, North Carolina

A video posted by Ansley Stuart (@dewey_decimate) on Dec 31, 2015 at 4:12pm PST

Nothing says "Happy New Year" like watching a 3-foot glowing pickle descend down a flag pole, usually outside the Mt. Olive Pickle Company in Mount Olive, North Carolina. However, this year marks the 20th anniversary of the pickle drop, so the event will be held at the University of Mount Olive. This drop happens at 7 pm ET (midnight GMT).

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6. Lucky the carp | Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin

A photo posted by Engineering fun everyday (@tyler2679) on Dec 31, 2014 at 8:48pm PST

In Prairie Du Chien, during the annual Droppin' of the Carp, a 3-foot fish named Lucky gets lowered. Festival goers often kiss it for good luck – a twist on the Chinese belief that eating carp on New Year's brings luck.

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7. Beach ball | Panama City Beach, Florida

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pier Park Mall (@pierpark) on Oct 29, 2016 at 6:47am PDT

New Year's Eve on Panama City Beach wouldn't be complete without the dropping of a huge, glowing beach ball in Pier Park. For young revelers, the city also drops some 10,000 inflatable beach balls over the streets at 8 pm, followed by a fireworks show.

8. A giant PEEP | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SteelStacks (@steelstacks_pa) on Dec 31, 2017 at 9:02am PST

In the town of Bethlehem, where candy manufacturer Just Born is located, a giant PEEP chick is dropped at 5:15 pm at SteelStacks. The 4-foot-9-inch lighted chick weighs over 400 pounds, but is not made of marshmallow like its smaller relatives.

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9. The great pinecone | Flagstaff, Arizona

A post shared by Mike Anaya (@amikeanaya) on Dec 17, 2017 at 10:57am PST

If you're in Flagstaff to celebrate the arrival of 2020, you'll get to see a 6-foot, 70-pound pinecone drop in front of the Weatherford Hotel, once at 10 pm (midnight in New York) and again at midnight.

10. A giant crab | Easton, Maryland

A photo posted by Sonny Humphries (@unsonny) on Dec 31, 2014 at 5:59pm PST

The community of Easton celebrates its maritime heritage on New Year's Eve by dropping a giant version of the state's favorite crustacean, a crab.

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Lydia Schrandt

About Lydia Schrandt

Lydia, Senior Photo Editor and Readers' Choice Production Manager for USA TODAY 10Best, has traveled to more than 40 countries in Europe, Asia and North and South America, and has lived in Albuquerque, Galveston, Austin, Thailand, Korea, China, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Spain and now Houston. When she's not at her computer in a cafe, she's out photographing the city, writing fiction or cheering on Barça.

Read more about Lydia Schrandt here.

Connect with Lydia via: Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest


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