Thousands expected for Mushroom Drop
KENNETT SQUARE » Thousands are expected for the fifth annual Mushroom Drop on New Year’s Eve, featuring a 500-pound stainless steel mushroom.
“People are excited,” said Kathi Lafferty, one of the organizers for Midnight on the Square. “This is a tradition now for some people.”
The event begins at 6:30 p.m. at State and Union streets, and it kicks off with live entertainment from the band “The Funsters.” There will be entertainment for children at the Garage Youth Center building on Union street. A tradition in past years has been the singing of “Sweet Caroline” just before the midnight countdown.
The event is free, but Lafferty said security is being heightened this year, and backpacks are banned. Trucks will be strategically parked on all sides of the streets.
Kennett Brewing Company will be selling beer near the Garage Youth Center, and a food vendor will be selling snacks like soft pretzels, hot chocolate and coffee.
Bob’s Crane Services will once again lower The Mushroom into the center of town.
Parking is available at the Exelon parking lot and Kennett High School. Free shuttle buses will bring guests from these parking lots to Broad and State streets and return guests from this location to their cars after the Mushroom Drop.
The event is a joint venture of the Kennett Area Restaurant and Merchants Association and the Mushroom Festival, Inc.
The Mushroom Drop isn’t the only unique ceremony ushering in the New Year across Pennsylvania. Here’s a sampling of some of the others:
RECYCLED BALL – PITTSBURGH, ALLEGHENY COUNTY
Pittsburgh ushers in the New
Year with a ball raise minutes before midnight, followed by a fireworks show. The “Future of Pittsburgh” ball is a 1,000-pound, illuminated orb made entirely of recycled materials, symbolizing Pittsburgh’s continuous efforts to be a “green” city. A kickoff celebration for the New Year’s festivities begins at 6 p.m., followed by the Highmark First Night Parade at 8 p.m., accompanied by ongoing comedic, musical, and theatrical performances throughout the evening.
BUTTON – CARLISLE, CUMBERLAND COUNTY
Carlisle celebrates New Year’s Eve by encouraging visitors and residents to design a button that will be dropped at the annual First Night Carlisle event. The final result is a 50-pound, aluminum-framed button that is accented with LED lights. Over 140 children entered the 2016 Button Contest, and the winning theme was “No Place Like Home.” Beginning at 5 p.m., the First Night Carlisle celebration will include live music performances and art exhibits, and it will close with a fireworks display.
WRENCH – MECHANICSBURG, CUMBERLAND COUNTY
The town of Mechanicsburg celebrates the New Year from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. with the annual dropping of a wrench on Main Street. The tradition commemorates the borough’s founders — mechanics who settled in the area to make and repair wagons in the early 19th century.
STRAWBERRY – HARRISBURG, DAUPHIN COUNTY
The New Year’s Eve celebration in Harrisburg hosts a crowd of thousands in the state’s capital. At 60 seconds before midnight, a giant, lit strawberry starts its descent from the top of
the downtown Hilton Harrisburg to ring in the New Year. The evening includes live entertainment, dancing, children’s arts and crafts, and fireworks.
HERSHEY’S KISS – HERSHEY, DAUPHIN COUNTY
Begin the New Year at the “Sweetest Place on Earth!®” The Hershey’s Kiss Raise is ranked second by USA Today Travel for great places for a family-friendly New Year’s Eve. This well-known chocolate town pulls out all the stops for its New Year’s Eve in Hershey event. At 11:59 p.m., a Hershey’s Kiss is raised, and a midnight fireworks display completes a family-friendly night in downtown Hershey.
RED ROSE – LANCASTER, LANCASTER COUNTY
Lancaster starts the New Year when its signature red rose ascends at Binns Park. Symbolic of the War of Roses between Lancaster and York, the red rose celebration starts early and lasts through the evening. With more than 20 indoor performances, Countdown Lancaster is a family-oriented event filled with visual and performing entertainment, ending in a midnight fireworks display.
BOLOGNA – LEBANON, LEBANON COUNTY
It wouldn’t be New Year’s Eve in central Pennsylvania without a famous Pennsylvania Dutch treat descending from the sky. Join the excitement in Lebanon as crowds count down the seconds with the famous 16foot Lebanon Bologna coming to a stop at the stroke of midnight. Start off the year by being amazed, amused, and maybe even hungry.
MARSHMALLOW PEEP – BETHLEHEM, NORTHAMPTON COUNTY
For a truly one-of-akind New Year’s Eve celebration, First Night Bethlehem “peeps” with pride. Start the evening by experiencing the celebration spanning
downtown and offering artistic and cultural entertainment for young and old, sponsored by the nonprofit ArtsQuest. Enjoy a wide variety of music and art before watching the signature Marshmallow Peep® travel down toward the crowd, ringing in the New Year as only Bethlehem can.
SLED – DUNCANNON – PERRY COUNTY
Duncannon Borough brings in the New Year with its annual Sled Drop at midnight, during a fireworks display. The 10-foot sled used is a model of the famous Lightning Guider sled manufactured at the Standard Sled Factory in Duncannon from 1904 until 1990. Festivities are held from 10 p.m. to midnight.
YUENGLING BEER BOTTLE – POTTSVILLE, SCHUYLKILL COUNTY
New Year’s Eve in Pottsville is marked by the raising of the Yuengling beer bottle to the top of the flagpole at Garfield Square. Ring in the New Year with a toast to the oldest brewery in America.
BEAVER – BEAVERTOWN, SNYDER COUNTY
Watch Bucky the Beaver descend from the sky this New Year in Beavertown in the Susquehanna River Valley. This life-size beaver got his name from a community contest that was held before the event’s second year. He is held in the air by a 75foot ladder and slowly lowered to the ground, landing at midnight.
KETTLE – MCCLURE, SNYDER COUNTY
The fourth McClure Kettle Drop New Year’s Eve Celebration at the McClure Fire Hall is sure to be an entertaining community event for the whole family. Ring in the New Year with food, dancing, and activities for the kids, and watch the lowering of the cast-iron kettle at midnight in honor of the historic McClure Bean Soup Festival and Fair Celebration.
PICKLE – DILLSBURG, YORK COUNTY
Although Dillsburg has nothing to do with pickles, the town sure does know how to have fun with its name. Get into a real “pickle” as Dillsburg celebrates its annual Pickle Drop at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. Once the dill has descended into the barrel, the party continues with a fireworks display lasting until 12:30 a.m.
WHITE ROSE – YORK, YORK COUNTY
Attendees of York’s New Year’s Eve celebration are sure to have a blast bringing in 2017. Enjoy a children’s countdown to the balloon drop from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m., with complimentary hats and noisemakers, perfect for the youngsters. Join the crowd in smelling roses all the way until midnight as a white rose descends from the sky in Continental Square, symbolic of the War of Roses between Lancaster and York.