Pennsylvania Town Dropping 400-Lb. Peep To Usher In New Year

Amber Norris Photography/Moment/Getty Images
By  Gwen Ihnat

Not every town drops a humungous shiny ball to commemorate New Year's Eve. You can see a 10-foot guitar drop in Memphis, a piñata in New Jersey, a giant peach in Atlanta, a drag queen in a gigantic red high heel in Key West, or a lit-up wedge of cheese in Wisconsin. Even with all those options, though, one particular celebration stands out. As the culmination of its two-day PeepsFest, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania will ring in the New Year with an illuminated Chick Drop, consisting of a 400 pound Peep almost 5-feet tall.

Bethlehem is the home of the Peep factory, and celebrates its popular export with this fest annually, featuring performers, a 5K, and a "family disco lounge." To aid youngsters who may not be able to stay up until midnight, the PeepsFest website notes that the giant Peep "descends at 5:15 p.m. on Dec. 31 to commemorate the beginning of an exciting new year." In a press release, a company spokesperson notes that "The Peeps Chick is an iconic symbol that represents the Peeps brand, our company and our community... We look forward to celebrating with fans, some of who travel from all over the country, at PeepsFest!" Honestly, we can see how the chance to see this giant Peep drop from the sky could be worth a bit of a journey; that Times Square ball seems pretty tame in comparison.

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