Atlanta’s New Year’s Eve celebration includes the dropping of a giant peach at midnight.
The event is called the Peach Drop, a reference to Georgia’s nickname as the Peach State. It began in 1989 and became one of Atlanta’s signature public New Year traditions. The large illuminated peach is lowered in downtown Atlanta as the final seconds of the year are counted down.
The celebration has been held in different downtown locations over its history, including Underground Atlanta and the area around Woodruff Park. Music and entertainment accompany the countdown, making the event more than a symbolic object drop.
Atlanta’s peach is sometimes confused with other American New Year objects, such as New York’s ball or Miami’s orange. Those events use different symbols tied to their cities or regions. The Peach Drop’s name refers to Georgia’s agricultural and cultural association with peaches, not to a real fruit being released over the crowd.