new year's eve

Here's how towns ring in the new year in North Carolina: 'Drop it!'

Mount Olive's famous New Years 'pickle drop' gets national attention

As people get ready to celebrate the New Year, one community is home to a ball drop unlike any other.

NORTH CAROLINA (WTVD) -- "Should auld acquaintance be forgotten; And never brought to mind?" You may not know all the words to "Auld Lane Syne," but you know the song as soon as you hear when the ball drops at midnight.

That's if you're still awake and watching "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" show on ABC11.

Depending on where you live the countdown to midnight on New Year's Eve usually starts with the lowering of something unique that symbolizes that town or region.

Here are some unique ways cities ring in the New Year across North Carolina

Eggcellent Idea!

Braswell Family Farms is hosting its first-ever New Year's Eve egg drop at the Nashville Junction at 723 S. Barnes Street in Nashville.

The family-friendly event will be held on December 31 from 4-7 p.m. with a firework finish to ring in the new year.

The Acorn Drop

For more than 30 years, the 'City of Oaks' has been dropping a gigantic acorn as the clock hits midnight on New Year's Eve.

The acorn was the brainchild of public relations agent John A. Watkins, in 1992, who decided Raleigh needed a bicentennial symbol like New York City's big apple, Atlanta's peach and Orlando, Fla.'s orange, according to the News and Observer. Watkins settled on an acorn for Raleigh, which is also known as the City of Oaks, because of all the oak trees. Watkins asked sculptor David Benson to create the large copper and steel acorn for the city's bicentennial and annual drop.

The Pickle Drop

There's nothing to sour about this unique event. For more than 20 years, the town of Mount Olive, yes the pickle-making capital, drops a--wait for it--a giant pickle for New Year's Eve but not at midnight. The town starts its year-end festivities at 5 p.m. and the pickle makes its way down to the pickle jar at 7:00 p.m. The drop is then followed by fireworks.

The location is at the University of Mount Olive on Henderson Street in front of the George and Annie Dail Kornegay Arena. Mount Olive is located in Duplin and Wayne Counties and has a population of a little over 4,000 people.

Gold Nugget Drop

If you're hoping to add some bling to your New Year's Eve celebration head to Marion, NC. They drop a giant gold nugget at midnight to ring in the New Year. The town of nearly 8,000 is located in McDowell County. List of events.

Marion, NC drops gold nugget at midnight. (Photo Credit: Marion Rotary Club)

Blueberry Drop

Want to see the largest blueberry in North Carolina? You'll need to drive to Burgaw, NC for New Year's Eve. Festivities for the drop are from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. followed by fireworks. The town known as the blueberry capital also hosts a 'Blueberry Festival' in the summer. Burgaw is located in Pender County and has a population of a little over 3,000 people. And, it's not far (33 minutes) from Wrightsville Beach.

Burgaw, NC drops giant blueberry on New Year's Eve (Photo: Visit NC)

Pig drop

Pigs might not fly but they do drop on New Year's Eve in Newport, North Carolina. Yes, you read that right. But, no it's not a real pig. The town drops a lighted cardboard cutout of a pig.

The town hosts New Year's Eve festivities from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Newport's population is just under 5,000 people. It's located in Carteret County.

Lighted pig cutout dropped in Newport, NC on New Year's Eve. (Photo credit: Town of Newport)

Badge Raising

For the past nine years, Mount Airy, NC which is also known as Mayberry, the fictitious town from the "Andy Griffith Show," rings in the new year by raising a giant sheriff's badge.

The event is held in the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History's courtyard; the gate opens at11:30pm. Mount Airy is located in Surry County. Its population as of the latest census is 10,611 people.