WATCH: 2025 Possum Drop rings in the New Year
George Franco smiles next to the faux possum at Tallapoosas annual Possum Drop (Credit: The Possum Drop Tallapoosa, Ga.)
TALLAPOOSA, Ga. - One of Georgia's most unique New Year's Eve celebrations is well underway. Tallapoosa's sold out Possum Drop, hosted by FOX 5 Atlanta's very own George Franco, began at 2 p.m. on New Year's Eve.
It's one of the only Possum Drops in the nation that uses a "stuffed" possum instead of a live one. Even better for parents, it has an early 9 p.m. drop just for the kids. For those who can hang a little longer, there's a firework show to ring in 2025 at midnight.
2025 New Year: What's The Possum Drop?
The Possum Drop in Tallapoosa is a unique New Year's Eve tourist attraction that has gained attention for its quirky tradition.
Unlike the world-famous ball drop in New York City, Tallapoosa's event involves lowering a taxidermied possum named "Spencer" at midnight to ring in the new year.
Bud and Jackie Jones, two taxidermists in love, helped start the tradition in the late 1990s after Bud reportedly found "Spencer" on the side of the road and had him mounted. Around the time, town organizers decided to create a special New Year's Eve event as a nod to the town's former name, "Possum Snout," and they reached out to ask if anyone had a possum. Bud volunteered.
The Possum Drop began in front of a modest crowd of 40. This year, the estimated crowd will exceed 13,000. For scale, Tallapoosa's population is just over 3,000.
The celebration includes live music, carnival rides, food vendors, and various family-friendly activities leading up to the midnight possum drop.
The event draws visitors from all over the world who are looking for a fun and unusual way to celebrate New Year's Eve.
The Source: Information on Tallapoosa's 2025 Possum Drop was provided by event organizers. Facts about the history of the Possuum Drop and Bud and Jackie's love story came from a 2018 NPR Story Corps interview.