Sponsorship increases for Idaho New Year’s Eve potato drop

New York City drops a ball in Times Square when the clock marks New Year’s Day, but in downtown Boise, Idaho, a giant potato falls from the sky.

The Capital Press reports that the Idaho Potato Commission has upped its sponsorship to $50,000 for the event that’s now in its fifth year and keeps gaining more attention.

Commission CEO Frank Muir says the visibility for the state’s most famous farm item increases every year the potato drops. The commission provided $5,000 during the event’s inaugural year, and the offering later increased to $25,000.

The event attracts about 35,000 people to downtown Boise on New Year’s Eve, and event founder Dylan Cline says it reaches even more people through national and international media coverage.