Watch an acorn drop to celebrate New Year’s Eve

As the capital of North Carolina, Raleigh offers a wide variety of activities for visitors, many of which are free and pay tribute to the state’s role as one of the original 13 states calling for freedom. But when New Year’s Eve rolls around, the city pays its biggest tribute to its nickname as the “City of the Oaks.” For more than 20 years, Raleigh has celebrated New Year’s Eve and its nickname by dropping a giant acorn at the stroke of midnight as part of its First Night celebration, one of several Raleigh holiday events. Visitors can see the 10-foot-tall, 1,250-pound copper and steel acorn as well as several of the oak trees that contribute to the city’s nickname year-round at its home in Moore Square Park. The acorn sculpture was commissioned for Raleigh’s bicentennial in 1992. It travels a few blocks to the main stage on City Plaza at Fayetteville Street for the drop during the First Night celebration. The giant acorn is just one of many unusual objects that ring in the New Year across North Carolina as communities across the state celebrate the holidays.