I’m a big fan of vanity license plates (I once had a license plate, 2WRITE), perfectly fitting last names, a.k.a. PFLN’s (Dr. Bassett, is a Maryland veterinarian) and perfectly fitting city names (Valentine, NE, known as “Heart City,” on February 14). Now, I can add “things that drop on New Year’s Eve” to this collective. I’m not talking about people who have managed too much alcoholic consumption!
With the arrival of the new year, I surveyed sites across the Internet (including numerous articles by examiner.com writers – too many to individually cite here) and can report that I easily tallied more than three dozen places that planned to drop something special to welcome in the new year. Many of these key on something that distinguishes the local area. Many involve either private, governmental or a private-public mix in creating the events.
The most famous New Year's Eve celebration in the world (Fig. A) is the New York City Ball Drop. Although Times Square celebrations began in 1904, it wasn’t until 1907 that the first Ball Drop occurred. Other than wartime omissions (1942 and 1943 due to lighting restrictions), the ball has graced the celebration for more than 100 years.
Several different balls have been used, but now a mathematically intriguing, 12-foot geodesic sphere, double the size of previous balls, was used. This sphere weighs 11,875 pounds and is coated by some three-thousand crystal triangles (Fig. 1).
Other ball drops include a Disco-Ball Drop (Montpelier, VT); a Glittering-Disco-Ball Drop (Dover, NH); and an eco-friendly sphere made from 240 pounds of recycled aluminum and 3,000-plus LED lights and runs on ethanol (Kalamazoo, MI).
Nashville, TN (home of country western music dropped a 15-foot red music note to welcome in 2012 (in past year’s a guitar dropped); now, it’s Niagara Falls’ Hard Rock Café that “owns” a guitar drop (actually, a 10-Foot Glowing Guitar). Personally, I would have expected the proverbial “barrel” for what really isn’t allowed over the falls.
When it comes to fruits and vegetables, a smaller scale New York City icon, a little apple (the Little Apple Drop) falls to Earth annually in Manhattan, KS.
Other fruit and vegetable events included the Big Orange Drop Miami, FL (Fig. 2), just the Orange Drop in Orlando FL, a Peach Drop in Atlanta, GA (of course) and a Cherry-Blossom-Ball Drop in Macon, GA.
I would have expected a Cherry Blossom Drop in Washington, DC, home of the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. But, maybe the City Leaders are instead thinking more about animals – Turkeys, Elephants and Donkeys. Why, they could always use the Turkey and vary its partnering animal based on who wears the political power.
In Palm Springs, CA, recent transplants Kurt Cyr and Jay Zaltzman, a designer and a marketing professional, respectively, have embarked on a mission to create an Olive Drop, Last evening, six restaurants were going to let patrons drop olives into their martinis. If successful, the two plan to push a proposal with local officials for an actual “drop” event.
Some cities used animals for their New Year’s drops. Eastport, ME conducted two drops. One involved a sardine; the other a maple leaf (for their Canadian neighbors).
TripAdvisor.com rated the Eastport event as the quirkiest for 2012.
According to the Columbus Dispatch, Port Clinton, a Lake Erie community in northwestern Ohio dropped a 20-foot, 600-pound fiberglass Walleye fish from a crane to welcome the new year (a 15-year old tradition). The Walleye is a plentiful fish in the area. Local restaurants were supposed to showcase the Walleye in their menus for this year’s celebration. Keeping with the Walleye theme, walleye chowder, walleye sandwiches, walleye cinnamon chips and walleye popcorn were among featured offerings at nearby restaurants..
The most unusual “critter”, and number 4 on the TripAdvisor.com listing, was a flea made of wood, wire and foam) gracing the skies last night occurred in Eastover, NC.
Easton, MD dropped a crab; Morehead Ciy, NC dropped a crab pot; Fayetteville, AR let a locally sculpted winged “Razorback” hog (with an impressive 8.5-foot wingspan) descend; and Brasstown, NC and Princess Anne’s, MD allowed a live possum and a live muskrat, respectively, to descend in their event. The muskrat was decked out much like Punxatawney Phil, replete with tophat. Students at a local elementary school named the celebrant, Marshall P. Muskrat. Given this perspective, I’m going to label this one the cutest celebration.
Chincoteague Island, were wild horses still roam, hosted a horseshoe drop.
But other foods dominate many descending events. For example, Elmore, OH showcases a sausage; Lebanon, PA uses a 12-foot long, 200-pound bologna; Plymouth, WI keys on cheese (duh!); while Raleigh, NC uses an acorn. The most noteworthy may well be the dropping of a three-and-a-half foot Vlasic pickle in Mt. Olive, NC. The latter occurs at 7:00pm EST (midnight in Greenwich, England) and occurs near the corner of Cucumber and Vine Streets.
Candies add a sweet touch to New Year’s celebrations. Marion, OH drops a large popcorn ball; Mobile, AL drops a hometown Moon Pie; Hershey, PA raises a giant chocolate kiss; and Bethlehem, PA uses the famous marshmallow peep (of Eastertime fame).
Rounding out the suite of creative genius Portland, OR drops a puck; Flagstaff, AZ drops a pinecone (many pine forests surround this northern Arizona city); Carlsbad, CA, home of Legoland, drops a Giant Lego construct; Mechanicsburg, PA drops a wrench; Easton, PA drops a Caroyla crayon; Allentown, PA drops a 34-inch tall red-white and blue bell; and Kansas City, MO drops $5,000. There is a Federal Reserve Bank here, but they don’t sponsor the event.
While Eastport, ME offers two drops, Key West, FL wins the prize for the most drops (three). The most visible occurred at the Bourbon Street Pub, where legendary drag queen “Sushi” was lowered while seated in a giant, glossy red shoe. Sloppy Joe’s Bar features a six-foot tall Styrofoam conch shell. A “pirate wench” was dropped from the mast of an olden wooden ship at the Schooner Wharf Bar. AYE, MATEY!
The multi-year economic downturn has impacted some descending new year’s events. Sacramento, CA dropped its ball in 2010 after just 2 years.
and Brooksville, Florida no longer drops its 200-pound tangerine. The tangerine was an emblem of the citrus industry that once thrived in Brooksville.
All of this research has convinced me that I need to visit at least of these events for 2013. Now, I just have to get my wife to agree that visiting a muskrat, pickle or guitar drop rivals our visit to Punxsutawney, PA some 10 years ago.
Right!
© 2012 H. Michael Mogil
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