While viewers all over the world tuned in to watch the ball drop in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, another city chose to welcome 2025 by dropping a very different kind of object: A Taco Bell taco.
On Wednesday, Jan. 1, food blogger Snackolator took to Instagram to share a video of Tucson, Arizona’s annual “Taco Drop”—and commenters from across the country were ready to book their flights for next year.
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In the short clip, a giant taco emblazoned with the Taco Bell logo was lowered to the ground from a great height by a crane as fireworks exploded in the background.
“Taco Bell just doesn’t miss when it comes to great marketing and the Taco Drop in Tucson AZ might be the greatest New Years tradition in the making. Would you go to witness the Taco Drop?” Snackolator asked in the caption.
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Instagram users were sorry to have missed seeing the fast food-themed celebration firsthand.
“Ok whatever marketing person came up w that idea is a genius,” wrote one person.
“Well I know what I’m doing next year!” declared a second.
“What is the closest hotel to where I’m clearly going to be next year,” another wanted to know.
Some commenters were curious about whether or not the festivities included free Taco Bell food or swag for attendees, but one Tucson resident said this was not the case.
“Tucson local here! I went last night for the first time and it’s so fun! Definitely worth the trip. Sadly there was no tacos or Taco Bell March being given out because that would’ve so much cooler,” they clarified.
The yearly taco drop—hosted by the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl—started in 2014, according to KGUN-TV, and now attracts crowds numbering in the thousands.
“We’ve had visitors come all the way from Florida to tell us that they came here because they saw the Taco Touchdown on TikTok,” said Arizona Bowl VP of Marketing Ben Chulick.
In place of complementary tacos were food trucks, a gin and juice garden and beer stations on the premises.
Next: Taco Bell’s “Long Lost” Menu Item That Never Actually Disappeared Makes a Grand Return—in Certain States