Sun 12/31 @ 10:30PM
One of Chagrin Falls’ landmarks is its popcorn shop. And that shop is at the center of its recent family-friendly holiday tradition, the New Year’s Eve Popcorn Ball Drop. Started 11 years ago, the event centers around a nearly 250-pound, six-foor-diameter ball, which is hoisted on December 29 and comes down at the stroke of midnight on December 31.
Start the evening at 10:30pm at Township Hall with hot chocolate, cookies and historic Chagrin Falls films, or get your hot chocolate and cookies at the Popcorn Shop. At 11 head over to the Triangle Park where DJ Buford T Hedge Hog will be playing music for outdoor dancing, and the countdown starts to midnight when retired police chief Jim Brosius will fire the town’s historic cannon and 200 normal-sized popcorn balls will be launched into the crowd by four Popcorn Bazookas.
“This year’s Popcorn Ball was completely refurbished; painstakingly removing all the old popcorn with a coat of fresh popcorn from the shop,” the popcorn team reveals. “There is a permanent structure for the ball underneath which we created three years ago. We work on it every summer refurbishing and perfecting. We use about 50 pounds of popcorn but the whole thing is 240 pounds. We refurbish it every year with new popcorn.”
During the year it’s stored in a warehouse in the area. They say “Two years ago we had it in a barn in Newberry where soon after we created it, the raccoons in the area had a party and ate 90% of the popcorn.” The popcorn team should’ve done some research. Newberry is in Geauga County. “Geauga” is a Native American word for … raccoon.
The event is free and all are welcome.
Cleveland, OH 44120