A drop in the barrel
By Joey Pitchford
Published in News on January 2, 2018 5:50 AM
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David, Angie, Hayleigh, 5, and AJ, 14, Boyce prepare with noisemakers before the annual pickle drop in Mount Olive Sunday. In the background, the glowing pickle waits to be dropped in the giant redwood barrel on the corner of Cucumber and Vine.
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John Coyne eats a pickle at the annual pickle drop at the Mt. Olive Pickle Co. wearing a hat decorated for the occasion.
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Kris, Skylar, 13, Johnny, 15, and Paige, 12, Rayburn pose for a photo after the annual pickle drop at the Mt. Olive Pickle Co. Sunday night. The Rayburns came from Creedmoor to attend the event for the first time.
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People take photos and videos as water is sprayed from the vat during the annual pickle drop in Mount Olive.
It may have been 7 p.m. when the pickle dropped in Mount Olive Sunday, but it was New Year's Day somewhere.
Hundreds came together at the Mt. Olive Pickle Co. plant Sunday to ring in the new year together, as the company hosted its annual pickle drop event. People from all over Wayne County and beyond drank hot chocolate, ate pickles and huddled together with loved ones in the freezing air while they waited for the glowing pickle atop the company flagpole to descend.
Among those enjoying the night with loved ones were James and Emily Hapner, with their children Moses, Cora and Josie. The family is from Michigan and had come to Mount Olive to visit family for the new year. Learning about the pickle drop added a fun evening to their plans.
"When we heard that they were having a pickle drop, we decided we had to go," James Hapner said. "Can't go wrong with hot chocolate, cookies and pickles."
All three of those were in abundance, given out for free to anyone who asked. Despite the sub-30-degree temperature, people young and old danced together in front of the main stage, where first the Harmony Boys and then DJ L.J. Manley pumped up the crowd with music. The cold wind blew -- taking more than a few pickle-themed hats with it -- but that didn't seem to dissuade anyone from having a good time.
Before long, the timers positioned around the area had ticked down to under a minute -- a minute until 7 p.m., that is. The pickle drop is held at that time every year to line up with midnight Greenwich Mean Time, to allow everyone to have an official new year celebration without necessarily having to stay up until midnight.
Whether or not it was technically the new year yet did not seem to concern the audience, who blew noisemakers and cheered as the timer counted down. With 10 seconds left to go, the pickle dropped, and the crowd cheered and counted down as it plunged into the redwood pickle tank at the bottom of the flagpole. Water shot up into the air, and the new year was upon Mount Olive.
Standing a small ways back from the pickle, Cindy and Tony Hardy kissed each other as the countdown reached zero. The Seven Springs couple grew up in the area together, and said that their lives took them apart for many years before coming back together again in 2015. They attended last year's pickle drop together, and then got married in the spring of 2017.
Cindy Hardy said she had enjoyed her first visit to the event so much that she decided to come back.
"We just enjoyed seeing all the people, the music, supporting our local community," she said. "It's just fun."