Watch as Hackettstown tests giant M&M that will drop for New Year's Eve
Hackettstown plans to ring in the new year with a sweet celebration filled with festivities and a giant red M&M lentil drop to finish off the night.
“Mark your calendars, because on Dec. 31, 2023, Hackettstown will come together to ring in the new year,” said Hackettstown Police Department Lt. Darren Tynan. “It is sure to be the highlight of the holiday season.”
The celebration will start at around 9:30 p.m. Sunday night and will last until around 12:30 a.m. Monday morning in the heart of Hackettstown at Main Street and Grand Avenue.
Attendees can expect a DJ, free giveaways, activities from participating local businesses, a performance from the Hackettstown cheerleaders, and a visit from an M&M character. All this leading up to midnight’s M&M drop.
"It is very exciting to be able to have our residents and visitors come together to witness the largest M&M ever falling from the sky to ring in the new year," Mayor Jerry DiMaio said.
There are numerous sponsors and participating businesses gearing up for this event including the Hackettstown Police Department, Mars Wrigley, Atlantic Health System/Hackettstown Medical Center, The Hackettstown Fire Department, and many more.
Check out the Hackettstown Police Department’s official Facebook page for further information about road closures, parking, restrooms, security, and a full list of event sponsors.
Mars Wrigley and Hackettstown
The origin of Mars can be traced all the way back to 1920 when Frank C. Mars started a candy business called the Nougat House.
In 1941, Mars opened a facility in Newark when M&Ms were first created as military rations during World War 2. The company opened its Hackettstown location in 1958.
Over the years the company grew to what it is today, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of chocolate, chewing gum, mints, and fruity confections. Mars combined with Wrigley in 2016 to become Mars Wrigley, now owning numerous well-known brands including M&M’s, Extra, Snickers, Twix, Skittles, Bounty, Hubba Bubba, and more.
In 2017, the Hackettstown location was announced as the company’s new United States headquarters, fully taking over operations in 2020. The location is home to a corporate office and an M&M factory, with millions of M&Ms made there each day.
Not the first unusual New Year's drop in NJ
Although a giant M&M is definitely different from Manhattan's famous ball drop, it is not the first unusual New Year's Eve drop in New Jersey.
To ring in 2024, Passaic will be doing its sixth-annual piñata drop on Sunday night. The 11-foot wide piñata has been dropping above Main Ave in Passaic since 2018.
Hammonton, thought of by many as the blueberry capitol of the world, drops a giant blueberry-colored sphere to start the new year.
In 2010, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi from “Jersey Shore” was dropped in a giant hamster ball in Seaside Heights.
Eleven years before that, Point Pleasant dropped a mossbunker fish, also known as a menhadden.
Even though these drops are a bit unusual, locals and visitors seem to enjoy New Jersey’s New Year’s Eve events year after year. Plus, if you are a long time North Jersey resident you most likely do not want to take a trip into Manhattan on New Year’s Eve.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Hackettstown New Year's Eve celebration to include giant M&M
