Pickles, Potatoes and Even a Muskrat?! Top 10 Weirdest NYE Celebrations in the U.S.

New Year's Eve celebration

We are all familiar with the New Year's Eve ball drop that happens in New York City's Times Square—it's the largest party in the U.S. and is seen by countless people either in person or on TV. Because it's such a popular event, other cities around the country have been celebrating their own type of NYE celebrations that include some very unique or just plain weird object drops. Many must think a ball drop is boring because we have seen everything from muskrats to pickles and even a hot potato!

If you are looking to travel for your own NYE celebration, you might want to take a look at our list of some of the places with the strangest but most fun celebrations in the country (many include activities that you probably don't normally see on New Year's Eve!). With the countdown starting at 10, here are the weirdest New Year's Eve celebrations that hit the top of the list in the United States. 

Related: Hello, 2024! How to Watch the Times Square Ball Drop and All the New Year's Eve TV Specials

10 Weirdest New Year's Eve Celebrations

10. Midnight Muskrat Dive

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In Princess Anne, Maryland, the official mascot is none other than a muskrat. To commemorate the new year in a wonderfully weird and wacky way, a stuffed muskrat is sent gliding down a zipline to commemorate the new year. Oh, and as if that's not enough, the muskrat is wearing a cape and a stovepipe hat!

Related: 26 Funny New Year Memes To Celebrate 2024

9. Whiskey Row Boot Drop

Prescott, Arizona is known for its wild west cowboy heritage and is therefore home to many western boot lovers. In fact, so much so that every New Year's Eve they have their traditional Whiskey Row Boot Drop. It actually happens twice in one night, at 10 p.m. and midnight, which is kind of weird but nice for those who can't quite make it all the way to midnight. Instead of dropping a simple ball, they drop a six-foot lighted boot from a 40-foot flagpole. It's an evening of kicking up their heels to live music and includes carnival games and rides.

Related: What’s the First Country To Celebrate the New Year?

8. MoonPie Over Mobile

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Over 40,000 people gather in Mobile, Alabama, to see a 600-pound and 12-foot-tall MoonPie drop on New Year's Eve. The kids' events begin at 11 a.m. with their own MoonPie drop at noon, and then things kick off in the evening around 7 p.m. with writing resolutions, having a decorated-umbrella contest and so much more.

Related: 25 New Year's Eve Finger Foods That Might Make You Miss the Ball Drop Just for Seconds

7. NYE PEEPSFEST

It makes sense that the hometown, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, of Peeps Chicks (yep, the Easter holiday staple!) would host a New Year's Eve party with the Peeps Chicks as the star of the show. A giant 400-pound Peeps Chick is dropped on both December 30 and 31. On both nights the chick is dropped already at 5:30 p.m. Besides the Peeps drop, other activities include a family walk with prizes for the best Peepsonality, a Peeps diorama contest and a Peeps flavor sampling.

Related: What's the Last Place in the World To Celebrate the New Year?

6. An Early Night With a Pickle Drop

New Year's Eve in Mount Olive, North Carolina is all about pickles, not olives! They begin to drop a giant pickle at 7 p.m. where it will end up landing in a giant pickle jar. Once it lands, fireworks go off and the whole event is done by 7:30 p.m. Pickle lovers will be happy to know that free pickles will be given out. If you bring a canned good contribution, you get a ticket for the door prize. In case you haven't already guessed, the door prize is a giant pickle like the one dropped!

5. Sartori Big Cheese Drop

Plymouth, Wisconsin is the cheese capital of the world so naturally, cheese is what they drop on New Year's Eve. They also give out gift bags of Sartori cheese to the first 250 families in attendance. The party also includes music and a cheese-tasting table.

Related: ‘How Eating 12 Grapes on New Year’s Eve Led to Me Finding My Soulmate'

4. The Hot Potato Gets Dropped

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In Boise, Idaho, the evening begins with the world-famous "GlowTato" flying in to take its perch during the Idaho potato rise. Enjoy the snow park and sample delicious food and beverages. You can even snap a picture with "Spuddy Buddy." At midnight, a crane will drop the potato like it's hot!

Related: Photos: Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve Through the Years

3. NYE Gold Nugget Drop

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Why drop a simple ball when you can drop a giant gold nugget into a pot of gold? This quirky celebration, in Marion, North Carolina, includes a Comic-Con costume contest, music, wagon rides, carnival-style games and historic ghost walks.

2. NYE Beach Ball Drop

When you want to hang out at the beach of Panama City, Florida, it's most appropriate to experience a beach ball drop on New Year's Eve. The night includes two separate beach ball drops. The first is at 8 p.m. and caters to kids and those who don't like to stay up late. Instead of just one ball being dropped, there are 10,000 inflated beach balls that will be drifting down from the sky. Then, at midnight, a large ten-foot diameter ball will be dropped from Panama City Beach's Tower.

1. New Year's Eve Giant Walleye Drop

A giant walleye is definitely a unique object to drop on NYE. That's exactly what happens in Port Clinton, Ohio though. The walleye is a whopping 20 feet long and weighs six hundred pounds. There is also a kid's party earlier in the evening that includes a minnow drop!

Happy New Year!

Next Up: 20 Fancy Dinner Recipes For the Ultimate New Year's Eve Party at Home