For those who might ring in the New Year not asleep in front of a movie, there are a number of big events available around metro Atlanta and Georgia. Notably, the Peach Drop is not an option this year. Funded as a free event by the city, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ office said earlier this month they would not be putting on the event this year. Despite that, if you would like to see a themed-object drop as part of a countdown, there are some other places to go.
The Battery Atlanta is once again hosting an event, with four-time Grammy nominee Brady Rymer kicking things off at 6 p.m. and a special balloon drop for kids at 8 p.m. (the Early Innings celebration). The 12 South Band comes on at 9 p.m. and a firework and confetti display over Truist Park will culminate the evening at midnight.
Savannah is always ready to host for events and New Year’s is no exception. Hotels and restaurants host New Year’s Eve parties and a spectacular fireworks show at midnight can be seen from Savannah’s Waterfront or the Tybee Island Pier and Pavillion. Stay for New Year’s Day on Tybee and take the Polar Plunge at noon for a refreshing start to the new year. Tickets are required but it includes a t-shirt and other festivities like a costume contest and parade. The current sea temperature at the Tybee Pier is 56 degrees so be prepared, maybe take an extra thick towel.
If you’re looking for something a little different, you can head west of Atlanta to Tallapoosa for the Possum Drop (but as they note, they do not use – and have never used – a live possum). Tallapoosa started as a gold-mining town and one of its early names was Possum Snout, reportedly named after a local Native American chief. The event has been a huge hit and now hosts thousands of people to the town of 3,000. When the Peach Drop was canceled in 2017 after Underground Atlanta was in an ownership flux, and before the Battery Atlanta had really cranked up its New Year celebration, the Possum Drop was the largest single New Year’s event in the state – part of a major economic development win for the small community near the Alabama border.
Several Georgia towns have a botanical take on their New Year’s celebrations. The city of Forsyth near Macon drops a yellow ball of forsythia flowers, the city of McDonough does a geranium drop and Helen – the Alpine Village in the Appalachians – naturally drops a giant edelweiss flower. This year’s edelweiss drop is the 10th annual celebration and is held at the Helen Festhalle on Edelweiss Strasse. Tickets include live music, party favors and a champagne toast at midnight. If you watched the Sound of Music during the Christmas season and want to experience some Austrian-ness here in Georgia, Helen is your best (and only) bet.
