You’ll Never Believe What Foods PA Towns ‘Drop’ for New Year’s Eve!

There are dozens of amazing food brands in PA, and though many of them have been around for multiple generations, their marketing efforts have modernized with the best of them. Among the more creative — and just a little bizarre — traditions that we’ve seen popping up in recent years are branded “food drops” on New Year’s Eve. Think of it like the famous ball-drop in NYC’s Times Square on New Year’s Eve, except … it’s food that’s dropping!

Here are eight towns in Pennsylvania that ring in the new year with fun and quirky “drops”:

Pickle Drop in Dillsburg

 
 
 
 
 
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Way to lean into your town’s name, Dillsburg! This borough in York County is named after its first settler in 1800, Matthew Dill, and really has nothing to do with pickles. But, on New Year’s Eve, pickles take front stage at the annual Pickle Drop, organized by the Dillsburg Community Association!  This year, the fun starts at 4 p.m. at Dillsburg Elementary School, featuring pickle soup, kid’s games and a “Baby Pickle Drop” at 7 p.m.. Nearby the school, in the Ace Hardware parking lot, find a second event starting at 7 p.m. with live music from Nathan Merovich and the famous Pickle Drop and fireworks at midnight. There will be food trucks and vendors on-site.

PEEPS® Chick Drop in Bethlehem

 
 
 
 
 
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PEEPSFEST® is just as over-the-top and sugar-fueled as you’d expect from the makers of the iconic marshmallow candy. This family-friendly New Year’s Eve party takes place on December 30 and 31 at the Steel Stacks in Bethlehem. The festivities on both days culminate with the PEEPS® Chick Drop, when a giant glowing PEEPS Chick (nearly 5-feet-tall and 400-pounds) descends toward the crowd. Other activities at PEEPSFEST include kid-friendly bands, scavenger hunts, ice skating, crafts and more. Buy tickets here.

Mushroom Drop in Kennett Square

No, there won’t be thousands of mushrooms raining down on you at the Midnight in the Square celebration in Kennett Square. The Mushroom Drop is actually one giant mushroom, all aglow, that descends on the audience from 100 feet up as midnight approaches! The town goes all out for this New Year’s Eve party, with a laser light show, children’s entertainment and live bands and performers. The cost of admission is a non-perishable food donation, collected for the Kennett Area Community Service. It all goes down at the corner of State and Union Streets at 7 p.m. The raising of the mushroom happens at about 8:50 p.m., a great way for kids to get a piece of the action without having to stay up until midnight! Find more info at Midnight on the Square’s website.

Hershey’s Kiss Drop in Hershey

 
 
 
 
 
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Hershey’s New Year’s is a huge annual event smack in the middle of Hershey, PA. Not only are there great live bands, but there are also plenty of other events and drinks and snacks from food vendors throughout the day. But, the main attraction is the Hershey’s Kiss Raise at midnight, when a 12-foot, 300-pound replica of the candy is lifted three stories into the sky in front of the Hershey Press Building, followed by a fireworks show! The concert and event are free and open to the public. See the Hershey’s New Years Facebook page for more info.

Strawberry Drop in Harrisburg

 
 
 
 
 
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Downtown Harrisburg rings in the new year with a big party on 2nd Street. The family-friendly event includes a balloon drop, glow party, free snacks, face painting and more kid-centered fun. Right before midnight, a big strawberry is raised up and then dropped as the New Year approaches (followed by fireworks at midnight!). Why a strawberry? Strawberry Square, the huge retail and office corridor that overlooks the state capitol, has been an essential component of Harrisburg’s redevelopment in the past few decades, and its atrium has become an important community gathering space. For more info and tickets, see here.

Hotchee Dog Drop in Carlisle

Carlisle’s famed Hotchee Dog, a take on the chili dog by local favorite Hamilton Restaurant, is dressed with secret “hotchee” meat sauce, a squirt of mustard, American cheese and a pile of diced onions. It’s the theme of the town’s New Year’s Eve bash at the Carlisle Theatre, which includes a hot dog eating contest open to the public, with 20 dogs and 10 minutes allotted to each contestant, and Hotchee dogs available for purchase. This year, Deep Space 90s will play a free concert from 6 to 8 p.m. and again after the Hotchee dog drop at 9 p.m., during which DJ Rob takes the musical reins for a big countdown. There’ll be other fare and brews available for purchase, face-painting, a meet and greet with the creator of the giant replica hot dog and carriage rides from 7 to 10 p.m. near the town square. 


Martin’s Potato Roll Drop in Chambersburg

 
 
 
 
 
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The famous soft, sweet potato rolls of Chambersburg take center stage in a massive replica that drops early at 9 p.m. for a New Year’s Eve crowd of all ages. Head to Chambers Fort Park in downtown Chambersburg to catch the spectacle. The event kicks off at 6 p.m. on December 31 with a DJ and giveaways, followed by more live music as the night progresses. At 8:30 p.m. a Candy Scramble ensures a sugared-up audience is ready to cheer the official Martin’s Potato Roll Drop at 9 p.m. Chambers Fort Park is located at the corner of Spring Street and Montgomery Alley. Find all the details at the event website

Bologna Drop in Lebanon

 
 
 
 
 
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Lebanon bologna is a big deal in Eastern and Central PA; in fact, we’d even call it a Pennsylvania food icon. The town of Lebanon, PA, exalts this cured meat favorite at New Year’s; in 2024, it will celebrate its 28th annual New Year’s Eve Bologna Drop! Starting at 3 p.m. on , Tuesday, December 31, the giant (and real) bologna will be on display attached to a disco ball on South Eighth Street, between Chestnut and Cumberland Streets. The festivities start at 10 p.m., with a DJ, a food truck serving coffee and hot drinks, and some outdoor heaters to keep guests warm. At midnight, the bologna will drop; afterwards, the bologna will be donated to the Lebanon Rescue Mission.

Do you know of other towns in PA with unique food or drop tradition on New Year’s Eve? Let us know!

  • Feature photo: Midnight in the Square
  • Mushroom photo: Chris Herring