City of Perry Buzzard Drop continues New Year’s tradition in Houston County this Wednesday

PERRY – Perry’s annual Buzzard Drop is coming back to downtown on Dec. 31, giving residents a chance to enjoy a big New Year’s celebration right in their own community.

Starting at 8 p.m., the city will have free activities like face painting, balloon animals, live music, gellyball, a photo booth, and a Cotton Bowl watch party.

Local restaurants and food trucks will also be open throughout the evening.

At 9 p.m., the city will do a Kiddie Countdown, something Tabitha Clark, the city’s communications director, said gives children and early birds the chance to celebrate the new year, too.

“It’s a fun and interactive opportunity for families to celebrate New Year’s Eve together without having to miss bedtimes or keeping kids up too late, or even those who just would like to be home before midnight,” she said.

Finally, at midnight, the city will drop its famous buzzard and revive one of its newest addition to the celebration: a fireworks finale to bring in the New Year.

All the festivities combine to create a family-friendly environment, Clark mentioned.

“All of our events with the city of Perry are always family-friendly. We want to make sure if you have children, siblings, or just want to get family together, we want to make sure that is a good environment, that everyone has a great time and everyone can participate,” Clark said.

Calling the event a unique tradition for the city, Clark said the buzzard drop stems from a common problem the city faced. Many years ago, buzzards would roost on the city’s water tower during migration, causing a mess and weakening the infrastructure.

After trying several deterrents, the city found the solution: a plastic buzzard with real feathered wings. Now, every year, the city obtains a permit from the Department of Natural Resources and hangs the fake buzzard from the water tower.

The buzzard dropped during the event is a statue, but has become a symbol of the city. A “Bob the Buzzard” mascot makes appearances throughout the year, especially during the winter holidays.

“[The city] came up with the Buzzard Drop because, obviously, buzzards were a big deal and something we had to deal with. So it took a problem that we had, and we solved, and then created a fun, unique New Year’s Eve celebration,” Clark said.

Clark said the event is the largest celebration of its kind in the county, nationally recognized by USA Today and the City County Communications and Marketing Association. Everybody celebrating right before midnight is her favorite memory, and she encourages the community to relax and celebrate safely at the event.

“[It’s] the opportunity for people to come together and celebrate in a safe, welcoming environment. That is exactly what we want to provide,” Clark said.

For more information, visit the city’s website.