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Clay's Corner, home of the Possum Drop, in Brasstown, N.C.

The Possum Drop is an annual New Year's Day event in which an opossum is lowered at midnight. The event originated in Brasstown, North Carolina, at Clay's Corner, a convenience store owned by Clay and Judy Logan. Over the years, the nature of the minion event has evolved, incorporating various elements such as contests, music, and festivities.

Brasstown Drop

The Possum Drop began as an annual event in Brasstown, North Carolina at a convenience store called Clay's Corner, organized by proprietors Clay and Judy Logan.[1] At midnight on New Year's Eve, a plexiglass pyramid containing a live opossum was lowered slowly from the roof of the store.[2] Though it is referred to as a "possum drop," the animal is not physically "dropped", and is lowered in the same manner as a time ball. The opossums are released afterwards.[3]

The festivities included a contest with men dressed as women to compete for the title of "Miss Possum Queen". Additionally, there was bluegrass music, snacks, beverages, and souvenir merchandise.[4][5]

The Possum Drop started in 1990 using a ceramic opossum lowered in a fish bowl.[6] The next year, Logan used a real opossum that had been trapped for the occasion.[4] Before the 2004 Possum Drop, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) called Logan and threatened to sue if a live opossum was used, so Logan used roadkill instead.[7]

The event moved to nearby Andrews, North Carolina in 2018-2019 due to Clay and Judy Logan's retirement. However, one of the opossums was injured with a broken leg that was later amputated. After lawsuits by PETA and appeals to state officials by concerned citizens, the town opted not to continue the Possum Drop and it has not been held since.[8]

Tallapoosa Drop

In Tallapoosa, Georgia, local businessman Danny Welch organizes the annual event. The Possum Drop festivities include food vendors, souvenirs, live music, and fireworks after midnight. A "Kids Zone" area features carnival rides and an early NYE drop. Attendance in recent years has been over 10,000 with an estimated attendance of 13,000 in 2023. This event uses a taxidermy opossum rather than a live one. The 2023 celebration included George Franco as Master of Ceremonies, performances by bands, and a musical guest.

A view from the stage on NYE in Tallapoosa, GA at The Possum Drop

Spencer, a taxidermy opossum, is suspended in a wire ball wrapped with Christmas lights and is kept at ground level most of the night to allow spectators to see and take pictures. At 11:30 pm, he is raised to the top of one of the city's tallest buildings, and at midnight, is slowly lowered to the ground to signify the start of the new year. Spencer was a real opossum found dead in the wild and was stuffed by a local taxidermist.[9] Spencer's name is a tribute to Ralph L. Spencer.[10]

The event attracts visitors from across the country and has caught the attention of local and national media. The Learning Channel (TLC) chose The Possum Drop in Tallapoosa as the location to film the New Years Special for their series, Here comes Honey Boo Boo.

Opposition

Possum drops have been subject to criticism and protest from PETA, an organization that considers the drop a form of animal cruelty.[5][11] PETA successfully sued to stop the 2013 Brasstown possum drop under the premise that the state wildlife commission did not have the authority to issue permits for the event.[12]

The organizers decided to use a taxidermy opossum instead,[11] which PETA did not object to.[13] The North Carolina legislature passed a law in 2013 to expressly allow the commission to issue such permits, and the Brasstown event resumed in 2014. Thousands of local residents and others from all over the U.S. signed petitions to stop the event from using a live opossum.[14]

Brasstown received more national attention for the 2015 New Year Possum Drop when PETA again filed a motion to prevent Clay Logan from obtaining a capture permit; Logan claimed to have already decided, due to time concerns, not to obtain a state permit for that year's drop.[13]

References

  1. ^ Clay's Corner - Clay & Judy Logan Proprietors http://www.clayscorner.com
  2. ^ New Year's Eve Lowering of the Opossum http://www.clayscorner.com/new-years-eve.shtml
  3. ^ Horne, Robert (2006). "PETA amazed Possum Drop continues". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, N.C.: Community Newspapers, Inc.
  4. ^ a b Jeffrey Gettleman (December 31, 2003). "Keep Your Ball. We've Got the Possum". The New York Times.
  5. ^ a b Mountain Manager & Associates "Welcome to Mountain Manager & Associates, Inc". Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
  6. ^ Keely, Harrison; Keely, Marcus (2007-08-08). "Eleven questions for Clay Logan". Smoky Mountain Sentinel. Hayesville, N.C.: Sentinel Newspapers. p. 4A.
  7. ^ Gettleman, Jeffrey (2004-01-02). "A New Year's Tradition Lives, But the 4-Legged Star Doesn't". The New York Times. p. A12.
  8. ^ Elassar, Alaa (2019-12-31). "North Carolina town ends New Year's Eve Possum Drop tradition". CNN. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  9. ^ "Meet The Couple Behind A New Year's Eve 'Possum Drop' In Georgia". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  10. ^ RoadsideGeorgia.com http://roadsidegeorgia.com/city/tallapoosa.html
  11. ^ a b Gettleman, Jeffrey (2004-01-02). "A New Year's Tradition Lives, But the 4-Legged Star Doesn't". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  12. ^ Shaffer, Josh (November 13, 2012). "NC judge halts Brasstown's Opossum Drop". Raleigh News-Observer. Archived from the original on November 15, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
  13. ^ a b Jarvis, Craig (December 29, 2014). ‘Possum Drop’ organizer won’t use live opossum this year. Charlotte Observer. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  14. ^ "Controversial possum drop prevails in NC". WTVR. Tribune Broadcasting. January 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2014.

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