A Georgia New Year’s Eve tradition won’t be returning this year.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens announced last week that the city won’t host the Peach Drop, Georgia’s 34-year-old twist on New York City’s ball drop in Times Square.
The event involves dropping an 800-pound peach from a 138-foot tower to count down to a new year. The event is a festive tourist attraction but has been on and off for various reasons since 2017.
Atlanta did host a Peach Drop to ring in 2023.
In a statement, Dickens cited the expense of other events and commemorations held this year as one reason for the decision not to stage a Peach Drop this year.
“This year, the City dedicated our resources to celebrating the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop and other local activities directly serving the community. While a worthy tradition in the past, the Peach Drop has not been an annual event since 2017. Each year is different, and we can always reevaluate next year,” a spokesperson for the mayor said.
GPP News contributed to this report
