Inspiration Faith & Prayer Health & Wellness Entertainment Love & Family
Newsletters Special Offers

Watchwoman on the Wall

Miami In Miami, never a destination to conform, folks gather at coastal Bayfront Park to count down the New Year by raising their ball: a giant, neon orange, complete with sunglasses—that staple local accessory. Bayfront Park; (305) 358-7550; bayfrontparkmiami.com. —Joshua Pramis

Chincoteague Island, VA The heavily costumed festivities begin at 10:30 p.m. in Robert Reed Park, but everything comes to a halt when a lit-up horseshoe descends for the countdown. Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce; (757) 336-6161; chincoteaguechamber.com. —Joshua Pramis

Mobile, AL Nothing says the New Year more than a marshmallow sandwich—at least not in Mobile, where residents consume more than four million MoonPies each year. So at midnight, a 12-foot-tall electronic version will drop from the city’s 34-story RSA BankTrust building in the annual “MoonPie over Mobile” celebration. cityofmobile.org. —Rich Beattie

Easton, MD Celebrating the crustacean is a year-round effort in this Chesapeake Bay town, and it culminates in the dropping of a giant papier-mâché blue crab on New Year’s Eve at 9 p.m. and midnight. (410)-770-8000; eastonmd.org. —Rich Beattie

Panama City, FL A beach-ball drop is the natural choice for oceanfront Panama City and will be back at Pier Park for the fourth year in 2011. The 800-pound illuminated ball bounces twice—at a kid-friendly 8 p.m. and again at midnight—with stilt walkers, fireworks, and live music. 600 Pier Park Dr.; (850) 233-5070; visitpanamacitybeach.com. —Kate…

Honolulu The Kahala Hotel & Resort may host a fancy poolside gala on New Year’s Eve, but even it gets in the wacky spirit as midnight approaches—lowering a 14-foot papier-mâché pineapple from the roof. Kahala Hotel & Resort; 5000 Kahala Ave.; kahalaresort.com. —Kate Appleton

Manhattan, KS This Midwest Manhattan embraces its status as the “Little Apple” by choosing to drop a shiny red apple before a crowd of more than 10,000. A laser show set to music gets things going at 10 p.m. Aggieville; Manhattan Avenue and Moro Street; littleappernewyears.com. —Kate Appleton

Pensacola, FL To celebrate the New Year and the Gulf Coast, this aluminum pelican with a 20-foot wingspan drops at midnight to the delight of the crowd of about 50,000. Come for the kid-friendly countdown at 8 p.m. to watch as it lifts off to its 100-foot-tall perch, or wait until it drops at midnight.…

Fayetteville, AR In the home of the Razorbacks, the hog drop (seen in the pictures here) was the traditional midnight countdown for several years. This year, with the debut Last Night Fayetteville event, there’s a new hog in town: a locally sculpted winged hog with an 8.5-foot wingspan will welcome 2012 as it’s dropped from…

Mount Olive, NC Folks in town make way for a well-lit three-foot pickle to slide down a 45-foot flagpole into a barrel—a 13-year tradition known as the great Pickle Drop and courtesy of the Mt. Olive Pickle Company. Corner of Cucumber and Vine; (800) 672-5041; mtolivepickles.com. —Alix Strauss http://www.ustream.tv/channel/new-years-eve-pickle-drop
archives most recent
search this blog
More from Beliefnet and our partners