Atlanta hosts the annual New Year's Eve Peach Drop. The event takes place in Atlanta, Georgia, whose nickname and state identity are strongly associated with peaches. A large peach-shaped object is lowered at midnight as the city's answer to the better-known ball drop.
The Peach Drop began in 1989 and became a recurring public celebration in downtown Atlanta. It has included live entertainment and crowds gathered near the drop site, although locations and arrangements have changed over time.
The event is not the same as the Times Square Ball Drop in New York City, and the object is not a real piece of fruit. Atlanta's peach symbolism reflects Georgia's long-standing “Peach State” identity. Weather, construction, public safety, and city scheduling can affect whether the event occurs in its traditional form in a particular year.