Shrimp Drop Places Third in Poll

Fernandina Beach's Shrimp Drop was named the nation's third best New Year's Eve drop in polling conducted by USA TODAY.

The iconic shrimp bested a pierogi, a pinecone, a possum, a pickle and a Peep for the honors.

USA TODAY assembled a panel of experts and editors to come up with nominees for the list, and readers chose their favorites over the course of four weeks of voting.

Ludington, Michigan's New Year's Eve Ball Drop was voted number one.

The Shrimp Drop was the idea of the Light Up Amelia committee, which also conducts the city's annual 4th of July fireworks show. The lighted shrimp has a seven foot long head and is slowly lowered from a hoist fashioned like the ball in New York's Times Square to count down the new year.

But unlike New York, Fernandina's celebration is family-friendly, counting down at 7 p.m. to coincide with midnight Greenwich Mean Time, marking the new year.

"We wanted it to be a family-friendly event, allow parents to welcome a new year with their younger kids," said R.J. Sicre, chairman of the committee.

Festivities this year begin at 5 p.m. at the Fernandina Beach Marina and will include a live DJ, face painting, food trucks and free party hats and beads. The event concludes with a 20-minute fireworks show.

Here is the list of the final USA TODAY results:

Ludington's New Year’s Eve Ball Drop (Ludington, Michigan)

Idaho Potato Drop (Boise, Idaho)

New Year's Eve Shrimp Drop (Amelia Island, Florida)

Pierogi Drop (Whiting, Indiana)

The Great Pinecone Drop (Flagstaff, Arizona)

PEEPS Chick Drop (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania)

New Year's Eve Beach Ball Drop (Panama City Beach, Florida)

The Possum Drop (Tallapoosa, Georgia)

Pickle Drop (Mount Olive, North Carolina)

Times Square Ball Drop (New York City, New York)