On New Year's Eve, many localities in the United States and elsewhere mark the beginning of a new year through the raising or lowering of an object. Many of these events are patterned on festivities that have been held at New York City's Times Square since 1908, where a large crystal ball is lowered down a pole atop One Times Square (beginning its descent at 11:59:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and concluding at midnight). In turn, the event was inspired by the time balls used by ship navigators in the 19th century to calibrate their chronometers.
Most drop events are scheduled so that they conclude at midnight in the hosting location's time zone. Some may hold a drop at an earlier time to appeal to families who do not wish to stay up for the later event, with the earlier event being held either alongside, or in lieu of one held at midnight. Occasionally, an earlier countdown may be promoted as celebrating the arrival of midnight in a different location with ties to the city (such as a sister city, or one that shares the same name)
Whilst some of these events use a ball in imitation of Times Square, many "drops" utilize objects that represent an aspect of local culture, geography, or history. Ball drops are by far the most common in, but not exclusive to, the United States.
List of drops or raises by time zone and location
UTC+08:00 Hong Kong: From 1993 to 2015, in imitation of its New York namesake, the Times Square shopping centre "dropped" an apple at its plaza using of electronic signage. Quezon City, Philippines: A star is dropped at Eastwood City.
Central European Time (UTC+01:00)
Spain
Madrid: The time ball on the Reloj de Gobernación—the clock tower of the Royal House of the Post Office at the Puerta del Sol—is activated at midnight.
Atlantic Time Zone (UTC-04:00)
Bermuda St. George's, Bermuda: A papier-mâché Bermuda onion covered in Christmas lights is dropped.
Puerto Rico San Juan: A lit star is raised. The television special Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve features an Atlantic Time Zone countdown from Distrito T-Mobile since 2021.
Eastern Time Zone (UTC-05:00)
Delaware Dewey Beach, Delaware: A skimboarder is dropped.
Florida Note: The Florida Panhandle is in the Central Time Zone.
Brooksville, Florida: A tangerine was dropped during the countdown to midnight until 2009. The tangerine drop was an emblem of the citrus industry that once thrived in Brooksville. Fort Lauderdale, Florida: As a symbol of the city's nickname "The Venice of America", an anchor is dropped. Key West (Sloppy Joe's Bar): A six-foot queen conch shell is dropped by the local bar Sloppy Joe's. Key West (Bourbon Street Pub): The Bourbon Street Pub, a local gay bar, drops a ruby slipper with a drag queen riding inside. The queen also serves as emcee for entertainment during the lead-up to the drop. The role was originally held by local drag performer Gary "Sushi" Marion, who retired from the event in 2023 after 25 editions (albeit leaving open the possibility of returning for the 50th anniversary, if possible).Key West's ruby shoe is coming down! CNN.com. Retrieved 2010-12-30. The event has continued with new queens annually, with the bar beginning to host a drag competition in 2025 to determine who will be the host. Miami: The "Big Orange"—a neon sign of a cartoon orange wearing sunglasses—is raised up the side of the InterContinental Miami hotel overlooking Bayfront Park. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the drop was cancelled in 2020, and replaced by a digital projection in 2021 and 2022. The physical Big Orange was revived for 2023. Orlando: The "Orange Ball" drop was previously hosted on Church Street in Downtown Orlando; in 2024, after Church Street Entertainment discontinued the event, a consortium of local restaurant and bar owners reached an agreement to purchase the ball and continue the event, re-locating it to Thornton Park. Sarasota, Florida: A glowing pineapple is dropped at midnight to ring in the new year in southwest Florida. Winter Haven, Florida (Legoland): A Lego brick is dropped at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.Barnes, Susan (December 31, 2015). New Year's Eve: Ring in 2016 with 16 unusual drops. USA Today. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
Georgia
Atlanta: A peach was lowered as part of the annual Peach Drop, which had been held at Underground Atlanta from 1989 to 2017 and 2019. For 2018, the event moved to Woodruff Park. The 2020, 2021, and 2022 editions were cancelled due to event improvements and the COVID-19 pandemic; while the event successfully returned for 2023, it was once again cancelled for 2024, with a spokesperson citing Atlanta officials having prioritized its commemorations of the 50th anniversary of hip hop music in 2023, and that the drop has not been an annual event since 2017. The drop was revived again for 2025 with support from Live Nation. The drop was discontinued again in 2026, with the city replacing it with drone and fireworks shows visible over larger portions of the city in order to prevent crowding. Brunswick, Georgia: Bob the Shrimp is lowered by the local fire department during the annual shrimp drop, a new tradition starting 2023 at the Mary Ross Waterfront Park. Cornelia, Georgia: Cornelia hosts a "Little Red Apple" Drop and Dance in honor of the region's apple growers. The "Big Red Apple" located at the train depot is not dropped. Duluth, Georgia: A disco ball called the Soaring Spirit Ball is raised. Gainesville, Georgia: The "Chuck the Chicken" Drop started in 2009 to benefit the Humane Society of Northeast Georgia. Macon, Georgia: A 6-foot wide lighted ball with metal cherry blossoms and pink lights is dropped in honor of the International Cherry Blossom Festival.MaconDotCom: Out & About – Cherry Blossom Ball Drop to ring in 2011 Marietta, Georgia: For 2016 an aerialist from the Proia Dance Project was lowered from a suspended cube approaching midnight. Perry, Georgia: A buzzard is lowered. Savannah, Georgia: From 2014 until 2018, the Savannah Riverfront has hosted Up the Cup on River Street, featuring the raising of a to-go cup. Wet Willies bar discontinued this event in 2019. Tallapoosa, Georgia: A stuffed opossum named Spencer is lowered. Unadilla, Georgia: A pig-shaped sign is lowered in the "Hog Drop". Winder, Georgia: A jug drop takes place at the Barrow County Museum.
Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana: A ball drop debuted in 2016. The original drop was a projection which prompted a group of engineers to volunteer their time in creating a low-poly ball 8 ft. in diameter, covered in translucent acrylic plastic, and lit with over 380,000 lumens of LEDs. As of 2017, the ball was hoisted 80 feet over the corner of Baker and Ewing St., and lowered by crane. Indianapolis: An Indy car was dropped from 2015 to 2018.Indy Car ushers in New Year on Georgia Street. WISH-TV. Retrieved December 31, 2014. Kokomo, Indiana: A 70-pound aluminum ball with 34,000 lights is dropped during The Kokomo Downtown Association New Year's Eve Celebration. Muncie, Indiana: A ball is dropped. Vincennes, Indiana (near Terre Haute): The giant 18-foot, 500-pound steel-and-foam Watermelon Ball is raised 100 feet in the air during the 60-second countdown at midnight, then the replica releases 11 real locally grown watermelons.
Kentucky Prestonsburg, Kentucky: A star is raised.Christmas in the Park. "Prestonburg Tourism". Retrieved January 1, 2024.
Maine Bangor, Maine: A beach ball covered in Christmas lights has been thrown off the top of a local restaurant since 2005. Eastport, Maine: Since 2005, a sculpture of a sardine is lowered at the Tides Institute and Museum of Art, in a nod to the area's history in the herring fishing and canning industry. As a nod to New Brunswick, Canada on the other side of Passamaquoddy Bay, a maple leaf is also lowered at 11 p.m. ET to mark midnight Atlantic Time. Both sculptures were created by sculptor Bill Schaefer of East Machias. Kennebunk, Maine: A wild blueberry ball has dropped from the town's First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church on Main Street since 2015. Machias, Maine: A giant plastic lobster, holding a shovel and blueberries is lowered. It took place at the Machias location of Pat's Pizza during 2016.
Maryland Baltimore: Hampden resident Bob Hosier (one of the participants in the neighborhood's annual "Miracle on 34th Street" tradition of holiday light displays) has hosted a ball drop at his home since 1988; after midnight, Hosier emerges from the house dressed as Baby New Year, greeting and taking photos with the ensuing crowd gathered outside. A sports bar near M&T Bank Stadium hosted a more traditional ball drop for 2016, which was sponsored by radio station WZFT. Berlin, Maryland: A ball has been lowered since 2017; from 2018 to 2024, one drop was held at 6:00 p.m. for families (midnight CET in Berlin, Germany), followed by another at midnight. The midnight drop was discontinued for 2025 due to budgetary reasons, as the 6 p.m. drop was more popular. Easton, Maryland: A red crab is dropped. Frederick, Maryland: In honor of being the birthplace of Francis Scott Key, a lighted key is dropped above Carroll Creek. Havre de Grace, Maryland: An illuminated duck has been dropped since 2000. Ocean City, Maryland: An illuminated beach ball is dropped. Princess Anne, Maryland: A stuffed muskrat in a top hat and bow tie named Marshall P. Muskrat is dropped. Hagerstown, Maryland: A giant doughnut is dropped in honor of Krumpe's Do-Nuts, a family-owned bakery that has been in business since 1934.
Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan: For 2014, a lit hockey puck was "dropped" in honor of the NHL Winter Classic game occurring on New Year's Day at Michigan Stadium. Detroit: A sculpture known as the "D Burst" (which was adorned with a giant letter "D", in reference to the city's nickname "the D") was lowered at Campus Martius Park. Grand Rapids: A six-foot-diameter steel ball is dropped for the WZZM Ball Drop in Rosa Parks Circle. The ball was built by GLC Metal Fabricators Inc. in Ludington with help from Harsco, covered in LED lights done by Tye's Signs in Scottville. A crane raises the ball 160 feet into the air before lowering it slowly into its position for the countdown. Kalamazoo, Michigan: A recyclable ball has been dropped since 2009. Ludington, Michigan: A 6' 5" diameter ball lit up with thousands of lights is lowered on a countdown to midnight. Marquette, Michigan: A lighted ball is dropped from the Masonic Center along Washington St. Negaunee, Michigan: Since 2023, a local Italian restaurant has lowered a large, baked meatball; the drop concludes in a pot of tomato sauce, after which the meatball is sliced and served to guests. Royal Oak, Michigan: A ball is dropped at midnight. Traverse City, Michigan: A cherry-themed ball is lowered as part of the "CherryT Ball Drop" (the event benefits a different charity annually), in honor of the region's prominent cherry-growing industry. Wyandotte, Michigan: A 1,000 pound lit steel ball is dropped at both 9p.m. and midnight next to The Clock Tower downtown.
Minnesota Saint Paul, Minnesota: In 2023, the Midway Saloon began lowering a giant fishing bobber for the "bobber drop"; the bobber aimed to be certified by Guinness World Records as the world's largest functioning fishing bobber, with a 6-foot diameter. For 2024, a larger bobber with a 7-foot diameter was introduced.
New Jersey