Atlanta uses the Peach Drop as a New Year's Eve countdown symbol.
The Peach Drop is a large illuminated peach lowered in downtown Atlanta at midnight on New Year's Eve. It is staged at Underground Atlanta, a historic commercial and entertainment district, and serves as the city's distinctive counterpart to the better-known ball drop in New York City.
The peach is a reference to Georgia's nickname, the Peach State. Atlanta's event began in 1989, when a peach-shaped object was lowered as part of the city's New Year's celebration. The design and event arrangements have changed over time, and celebrations have occasionally moved or been modified because of construction, public safety, or other local circumstances. The Peach Drop is separate from the peach-shaped Georgia state symbol used in other contexts, but both draw on the same association between Georgia and peaches.