At Mobile, Alabama’s New Year’s Eve MoonPie Drop, an oversized MoonPie is lowered at midnight.
Mobile began the MoonPie Drop in 2008 as part of its New Year’s Eve celebration. The event uses a large illuminated replica of the chocolate-coated marshmallow-and-graham snack, which is associated with the American South.
The choice has a local connection: Mobile is closely linked with Mardi Gras traditions, and MoonPies have long been thrown from parade floats in the city. The New Year’s Eve drop extends that regional food-and-festival association into a midnight countdown.
The object is often described as a giant MoonPie, but it is a manufactured illuminated prop rather than an edible pastry. Mobile’s event is one of several American “drops” that replace the better-known New York ball with a local symbol.