"Why let New York City have all the fun with its Times Square ball drop on New Year's Eve? Dozens of places across the U.S. will ring in 2026 by dropping a quirky assortment of fruits, vegetables, sea creatures and balls of all shapes and sizes. Many have a hometown flair. There's the giant cheese wedge in Plymouth, Wisconsin, a chile pepper in Las Cruces, New Mexico, a pinecone in Flagstaff, Arizona, and a conch shell in Key West, Florida."
"It's said in some cultures that eating fruit on New Year's Eve brings luck and wealth. Perhaps that's why many cities mix fruit into their celebrations. Miami has its "Big Orange" drop, while Sarasota, Florida, features a pineapple. There are cherry drops in Milwaukie, Oregon, and Traverse City, Michigan. Brightly lit grapes plunge from above in Temecula, California. Atlanta this year is replacing its peach drop with a "digital drone peach in the sky.""
Dozens of U.S. communities mark New Year's Eve by dropping locally themed objects ranging from fruits and vegetables to sea creatures and novelty balls. The tradition traces to 1907 when a 700-pound, five-foot ball debuted in Times Square, inspiring copycat celebrations nationwide. Examples include a giant cheese wedge in Plymouth, Wisconsin; a chile pepper in Las Cruces, New Mexico; a pinecone in Flagstaff, Arizona; and a conch shell in Key West, Florida. Pennsylvania hosts bologna, pickle and potato chip drops. Fruit-themed events occur in Miami, Sarasota, Milwaukie, Traverse City and Temecula, while beach towns drop flip-flops and thousands of beach balls. Mobile stages a 600-pound MoonPie descent.
Read at NBC New York
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