Three, two, one… Happy New Year!
There’s nothing quite like the excitement of New Year’s Eve. And while many people dream of watching the ball drop at Times Square, there are plenty of cities with equally exciting drops once the clock strikes midnight.
If you’re looking for a great send off as we roll into 2024, Panama City Beach is the place to go, according to USA Today‘s 10Best list on the best New Year’s Eve drops across the U.S. In fact, the waterfront town not only made the list, but its NYE celebration claims the top spot!
Every year, thousands of visitors and locals head to Panama City Beach for its Beach Ball Drop, which features a countdown, fireworks, live music and 10,000 inflatable beach balls that are dropped over the crowd. Held at Pier Park, there’s an 8 p.m. ball drop for youngsters and another one at midnight where a glowing beach ball descends to kick off a dazzling fireworks display.
Following in second and third place on the list are Boise, Idaho’s Potato Drop and Las Cruces, New Mexico’s Chile Drop. Idaho drops a glowing potato at midnight, accompanied by fireworks, music, art performances and sporting events. New Mexico kicks NYE up a notch with its illuminated, 19-foot chili pepper that drops at the stroke of midnight.
You can find the full ranking of the best New Year’s Eve drops in the U.S. here.