0101Bfd6 27Eb 40Db A8F1 Cfc8Efce63F0 E1763487059678 — “Mobile Alabama Moonpie” by SabanWorshipper is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

There are many ways to ring in the new year, but in Mobile, it’s a bit sweeter.

The city’s annual “MoonPie Over Mobile” New Year’s Eve event has once again made national headlines, earning a spot on USA Today’s 10 Best New Year’s Eve drops this year.

Mobile’s celebration is up there with other iconic drops in the U.S., including:

Whiting, Indiana’s Pierogi Drop
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania’s PEEPS Chick Drop
Boise, Idaho’s Potato Drop
Tallapoosa, Georgia’s Possum Drop
Panama City Beach, Florida’s Beach Ball Drop
Mount Olive, North Carolina’s Pickle Drop

But… why?

Every year since 2008, the 600-pound, 12-foot-tall mechanical MoonPie descends the 34-story RSA Trustmark building at midnight. It might sound excessive, but there is actually a little bit of history behind it.

As many Mobilians will proudly tell everyone within earshot, the Port City is home to the U.S.’s first Mardi Gras celebration all the way back in 1703.

MoonPies are one of the most popular throws — they were first thrown in 1952’s Mardi Gras. According to MoonPie Over Mobile, the city consumes more than 4 million MoonPies annually.

That’s why Mobile teamed up with the MoonPie maker Chattanooga Bakery to bring together the celebration.