DELMARVA - As the clock approaches midnight, many across Delmarva are gearing up to ring in the New Year with unique iterations of the famous Times Square ball drop in New York City.
Local communities are taking a distinctly regional approach to usher in 2025.
For over a decade, Princess Anne has traded out a sparkly ball in for something more representative of the Somerset county community.
"Let's do something that makes sense for our area and kind of celebrates the rich nature and culture and heritage of our community," Princess Anne Historic Main Street Manager Carrie Samis said.
Enter a taxidermized muskrat named Marshall, dressed for the occasion with a top hat and custom-made silk cape.
Another unconventional drop in Sussex County has been helping people on Delmarva ring in New Years for years. The Lewes Anchor Drop is hosted by The Overfalls Foundation.
Ken Wehn is the head of the Dirty Hands Gang, a group comprised mostly of veteran volunteers who help maintain Overfalls' lightship. This is the first New Year's Eve Wehn will be the one dropping the illuminated anchor.
"Right before midnight, we'll start dropping it from the top of the lineup here and just bring it down and timing is everything," Wehn said. "Try to hit it at the bottom right at midnight."
The city of Cambridge in Dorchester County is ushering in a new tradition this year. The 300 strong crab basket tree in downtown has been a holiday fixture for years, but Cambridge Main Street Executive Director Christina Wingate-Spence said welcoming 2025 by dropping the tree at midnight was a natural choice.
“It is taking something that has become so iconic in our community and using it as a launching point for all the great things that are going to be happening this coming year,” Wingate-Spence said.
These New Year's Eve traditions celebrate the rich heritage across Delmarva and make for a meaningful way to welcome year to come.
