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Temecula's Grape Drop among numerous unique New Year's Eve events

Hundreds flock to Old Town Temecula every Dec. 31 for a fun and unique tradition where a series of balls made to look like a cluster of grapes are dropped outside city hall twice: Once at 9 p.m. to sync with the New Year's Eve countdown on the East Coast and once again at midnight.

But, Temecula is not the only place with a unique way of ringing in the New Year. Across the country, cities have come up with themed and unique New Year's events. Here's a sampling of some of them.

The Flip Flop Drop

Folly Beach is located on an island on the South Carolina coast and is often referred to as the "Edge of America," according to the city's website.

The city doesn't just have a far out nickname, but also a unique yearly tradition.

According to Charleston's The Post and Courier, a pair of brightly lighted and sparkly flip flops counts down the moments to midnight as they are dropped from above the Tides Folly Beach hotel.

Local restaurants stay open and one of the city's streets is closed to traffic so that fun family activities can take place there.

The Chile Drop

New Mexico is a place where the Chile reigns supreme and that love can be seen in Las Cruces' yearly New Year's eve tradition.

"Celebrate New Year's Eve by dropping a Chile," a post on the event's official Facebook page says. "New York has the ball drop, Atlanta has the peach drop, but our Chile is even hotter than all of that."

The Chile is dropped from Plaza de Las Cruces. This year, the fourth iteration of the event, there were food trucks, a beer garden and a Chile Drop Queen was crowned during grand opening ceremonies, according to event organizers.

The Peep Drop

One of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania's claims to fame is that it is the home of the Peep, the marshmallow confectionary that you tend to find in stores around Easter time.

Well, at least in Bethlehem, the Peep makes an early appearance – and in a big way.

The 4-foot-9-inch tall, 200-pound lit up Peep descends at 5:15 p.m. Dec. 31 from a crane at Bethlehem's SteelStacks, a 10-acre campus dedicated to family events, arts and community celebrations.

MoonPie Over Mobile

The Peep isn't the only sweet treat to be dropped on New Year's eve.

In Mobile, Alabama, a 600-pound electric MoonPie drop takes place in the downtown area.

The evening starts off with the cutting of the world's largest MoonPie in the courtyard of the Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel and that's followed by a parade.

The evening ends with the MoonPie drop and a laser light show.

The Idaho Potato Drop

What else would you expect in Boise, Idaho, than a potato drop?

The "GlowTato" is dropped from the Idaho State Capital following a night of dancing, food, drink and family fun.

The event features an area for family-friendly snow activities such as tubing, skiing and snowboarding.

A special "VIP" tent offers some lucky guests the chance to see an ice sculpting competition and pro-wrestlers battle for the prized, "potato belt."

 

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