Pickle Drop at Mt. Olive Pickles

MOUNT OLIVE, NC—The New Year's Eve Pickle Drop returns for its 25th edition Tuesday, December 31.

The Pickle Drop will be staged in front of the University of Mount Olive’s Kornegay Arena, and the Mount Olive Volunteer Fire Department will again assist with Tower 23, its ladder truck. From the tower, the glowing New Year’s Eve Pickle descends into a giant pickle jar.

The event continues its signature early schedule: everything gets underway at 5 o’clock, and the pickle descends at 7 o’clock sharp. A fireworks display immediately follows, and, the whole thing is over by 7:30.

“Our early evening celebration makes it ideal for families and older adults,” said Lynn Williams, company spokesperson, “and then there’s everyone else who wants to celebrate New Year’s Eve and still be home in bed well before midnight.”

Live music will be presented by ThrowBack Collaboration Band, which performs old school rhythm and blues. The evening will also feature free pickles, food trucks, and a chance to win door prizes for those who contribute to the annual canned food drive for Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC. 

The New Year’s Eve Pickle Drop, first held in 1999 and attended by a handful of Mt. Olive Pickle employees, annually draws several thousand. 

For those who can’t make it in person, watch it live on New Year’s Eve on the web at www.mtolivepickles.com.

In business since 1926 in its hometown of Mount Olive, NC, Mt. Olive Pickle Company manufactures the best-selling brand of pickles, peppers and relishes in the U.S.