MOBILE, AL (RNN) - Onlookers watched with baited breath as dense fog
shrouded the drop of a giant MoonPie in Mobile, AL, proclaiming the end of 2011
and beginning of 2012.
There was just one problem - it was more like a half-MoonPie.
Lighting issues plagued the 12-foot, 600-pound MoonPie as it dropped from
Mobile's largest skyscraper, but otherwise the giant party went off without a
hitch. Thousands of partygoers showed up for the New Year's Eve event, which is
casting its bid for New Year's Eve fame against the nation's largest cities.
The MoonPie, the flavorful marshmallow treat made by Tennessee's Chattanooga
Bakery, is the iconic symbol of Mardi Gras. Though many associate Mardi Gras
with New Orleans, the fun-filled carnival was first celebrated in America in
Mobile in 1703.
"Mobile is the birthplace of Mardi Gras," said Barbara Drummond,
the city's communications director. "Our New Year's celebration takes
something iconic with our carnival season and turns it into a new economic
engine."
MoonPie Over Mobile was an unofficial kickoff of the Mardi Gras season,
complete with its own Mardi Gras parade and revelers dressed up in costumes.
Drummond predicted between 80,000 and 100,000 people flocked to watch the
pie in the sky, which also included a laser light show, fireworks and
performances by iconic music groups such as Lakeside and Three Dog Night.
Lakeside performed hits including "Outrageous," "All the Way
Live" and "Raid" before passing the baton to headlining act
Three Dog Night, who ushered in 2012 with back-to-back performances of
"Auld Lang Syne" and their mega-hit "Joy to the World."
"They're high energy, very inspirational, and they're creating a whole
lot of momentum," Drummond said of the nostalgic bands.
Mobile City Councilman Fred Richardson, visionary of the giant MoonPie drop,
said this year's event was the biggest ever.
"Mobile's New Year's Eve celebration featuring the MoonPie Over Mobile
has become a cultural phenomenon in the entire USA," he said.
But more so than all of the entertainment, it may be something unexpected
that sold MoonPie Over Mobile to partygoers.
"To top it all off, we truly have a
hospitality that will make you want to come back for more," Drummond said.
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The giant LED MoonPie weighed a total of 600 pounds. (Source: WSFA)
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