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The Possum Drop AI simulator
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Hub AI
The Possum Drop AI simulator
(@The Possum Drop_simulator)
The Possum Drop
The Possum Drop is an annual New Year's Eve event in which an opossum is lowered at midnight. The first documented case of a possum drop was in 1990 in Brasstown, North Carolina. The original event has been discontinued, but a version of it is currently held annually in Tallapoosa, Georgia.
Brasstown's Possum Drop was initially hosted at Clay's Corner, a convenience store owned by Clay and Judy Logan. The event featured the lowering of a live opossum in a plexiglass cage from the store's roof. Despite its name suggesting otherwise, the opossum was not physically dropped; rather, it descended gradually, akin to the descent of a time ball. Following the descent, the opossum was released unharmed.
The festivities included a contest with men dressed as women to compete for the title of "Miss Possum Queen". Additionally, there were performances of bluegrass music, snacks, refreshments, and the opportunity to purchase souvenir merchandise.
The Possum Drop started in 1990, featuring a ceramic opossum lowered in a fish bowl. In the following year, a live opossum, specifically captured for the occasion, was used. However, ahead of the 2004 Possum Drop, protests from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals led to a modification in practice. Consequently, roadkill was used for the 2004 event. The following year, the event returned to using a live opossum. The crowd grew to 2,000 people by 2010 and the event was featured on CBS Sunday Morning. PETA threatened another lawsuit and called on the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission to step in. The WRC instead issued a permit for Clay Logan to use a live opossum anyway. In 2013, the North Carolina General Assembly passed the "Possum Drop Bill", which allowed the WRC to issue live captivity permits for events. PETA sued the WRC in response.
After the retirement of Clay and Judy Logan, the event moved to nearby Andrews, North Carolina, for the 2018-2019 edition. However, this relocation was met with controversy due to an unfortunate incident during the event. The opossum involved sustained an injury, resulting in a broken leg that required amputation. Subsequently, lawsuits by PETA and appeals from concerned citizens to state authorities ensued, and the decision was made to stop the Possum Drop. Since then, the event has not been held. The event inspired the "Possum Drop Song", which continues to be performed annually at the John C. Campbell Folk School.
In the late 1990s, Tallapoosa town organizers created a New Year's Eve event based on a historical reference to the town given by old settlers, Possum Snout. For this event, they opted to use a taxidermy opossum provided by local career taxidermists Bud and Jackie Jones.
Spencer, the taxidermy opossum, was suspended in a wire ball adorned with Christmas lights and positioned at ground level for the majority of the night to facilitate viewing and photography by spectators.
At 11:30 pm, he was raised to the top of one of the city's tallest buildings. Then, at midnight, he was slowly lowered to the ground, to symbolize the start of the new year. Spencer's name is a tribute to Ralph L. Spencer, a prominent 19th-century businessman recognized for his contribution to the town's economic growth.
The Possum Drop
The Possum Drop is an annual New Year's Eve event in which an opossum is lowered at midnight. The first documented case of a possum drop was in 1990 in Brasstown, North Carolina. The original event has been discontinued, but a version of it is currently held annually in Tallapoosa, Georgia.
Brasstown's Possum Drop was initially hosted at Clay's Corner, a convenience store owned by Clay and Judy Logan. The event featured the lowering of a live opossum in a plexiglass cage from the store's roof. Despite its name suggesting otherwise, the opossum was not physically dropped; rather, it descended gradually, akin to the descent of a time ball. Following the descent, the opossum was released unharmed.
The festivities included a contest with men dressed as women to compete for the title of "Miss Possum Queen". Additionally, there were performances of bluegrass music, snacks, refreshments, and the opportunity to purchase souvenir merchandise.
The Possum Drop started in 1990, featuring a ceramic opossum lowered in a fish bowl. In the following year, a live opossum, specifically captured for the occasion, was used. However, ahead of the 2004 Possum Drop, protests from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals led to a modification in practice. Consequently, roadkill was used for the 2004 event. The following year, the event returned to using a live opossum. The crowd grew to 2,000 people by 2010 and the event was featured on CBS Sunday Morning. PETA threatened another lawsuit and called on the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission to step in. The WRC instead issued a permit for Clay Logan to use a live opossum anyway. In 2013, the North Carolina General Assembly passed the "Possum Drop Bill", which allowed the WRC to issue live captivity permits for events. PETA sued the WRC in response.
After the retirement of Clay and Judy Logan, the event moved to nearby Andrews, North Carolina, for the 2018-2019 edition. However, this relocation was met with controversy due to an unfortunate incident during the event. The opossum involved sustained an injury, resulting in a broken leg that required amputation. Subsequently, lawsuits by PETA and appeals from concerned citizens to state authorities ensued, and the decision was made to stop the Possum Drop. Since then, the event has not been held. The event inspired the "Possum Drop Song", which continues to be performed annually at the John C. Campbell Folk School.
In the late 1990s, Tallapoosa town organizers created a New Year's Eve event based on a historical reference to the town given by old settlers, Possum Snout. For this event, they opted to use a taxidermy opossum provided by local career taxidermists Bud and Jackie Jones.
Spencer, the taxidermy opossum, was suspended in a wire ball adorned with Christmas lights and positioned at ground level for the majority of the night to facilitate viewing and photography by spectators.
At 11:30 pm, he was raised to the top of one of the city's tallest buildings. Then, at midnight, he was slowly lowered to the ground, to symbolize the start of the new year. Spencer's name is a tribute to Ralph L. Spencer, a prominent 19th-century businessman recognized for his contribution to the town's economic growth.