Atlanta holds the Peach Drop, a New Year’s Eve ball-drop tradition centered on a giant peach.
Atlanta’s Peach Drop takes place at midnight as a large illuminated peach descends at an Atlanta landmark. The event draws on Georgia’s nickname, the Peach State, and gives the city a distinctive regional counterpart to other New Year’s Eve countdowns based on descending objects.
The first Peach Drop was held for the transition into 1989. Over time, the celebration became associated with Underground Atlanta, the downtown commercial and entertainment district. The event has included live music and a large public gathering, although location, scale, and operating arrangements have changed in different years.
The Peach Drop is often confused with the New Year’s Eve ball drop in New York City because both involve a timed descent at midnight. They are separate traditions in separate cities, and Atlanta’s descending object is specifically peach-shaped. The event’s name is also unrelated to Atlanta’s Peachtree Street, although both references are prominent parts of local identity.