Giant red M&M will drop in a small NJ town for New Year’s Eve

Published Dec 29, 2023 at 3:06 p.m. ET

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Published Dec 29, 2023 at 3:06 p.m. ET

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Find it a drag to wait in crowded lines to see the New Year’s Eve Times Square ball drop?

A similar, sweeter experience awaits in Hackettstown, New Jersey, where a giant version of a miniature candy will descend on New Year’s Eve.

A custom-built, red M&M — bedazzled with 1,000 LED lights on all sides — will slowly descend from a fire truck’s ladder in the Warren County community where the U.S. headquarters of M&M maker Mars, Inc. is located. The event will be the new highlight of downtown Hackettstown's New Year’s Eve celebration.

The candy ball, which is 40 inches in diameter, 59 pounds in weight and made of round fiberglass, was made by Dylan Works, a company based in Washington state. Mars purchased and donated the ball to the town.

Hackettstown Police Lt. Darren Tynan said a Mars plant has produced M&M’s in the small town — population approximately 10,000 — since 1958.

“It's a very popular candy," said Tynan. "Mars Wrigley has been a fixture here in Hackettstown. They are always donating to us for any type of event that the police department or the town puts on."

Hackettstown, New Jersey officials practiced their M&M "drop" Friday, Dec. 29, ahead of a planned New Year's Eve celebration.

The M&M will begin its descent at 11:59 p.m. and light up when the clock strikes midnight, welcoming 2024.

“It's 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,” Hackettstown Mayor Jerry DiMaio said in a statement earlier this month.

The M&M ceremony is set for the center of town, at the intersection of Main Street and Grand Avenue. Starting at 9 p.m., residents will be entertained with a live DJ set, free giveaways, a cheerleader performance and activities from local businesses.

Tynan said town officials hopes this first-time celebration will become a jovial tradition. Next year, he said, they plan on lowering the M&M from a pole that will be placed atop a popular local brewery.

“It's just a great time to come out and see something different," he said. "A lot of people might not like the huge crowds that are out in New York City, but they can come out here and enjoy the same atmosphere just on a lower scale. It's something different.”

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Ramsey Khalifeh is a general assignment reporter on the NYC Accountability desk covering the city's most powerful institutions and the work they do (or don't). He was previously a summer intern on the Day-of desk and also worked at the Boston Globe's metro and copy desk. Got a tip? Email rkhalifeh@nypublicradio.org

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