Magic, MoonPies, and Mobile
Ring in the new year with a celebration you won’t find anywhere but Mobile
Words by Paige Townley
Some destinations are simply built for a good time, and Mobile would most certainly fall into that category. As the oldest city in Alabama, Mobile has a long and storied history, and it’s one that includes a variety of people, cultures, flavors, traditions, and, of course, attractions.
Mobile is famously known as the home of the country’s original Mardi Gras celebration, and it’s also home to one of the busiest ports in the country thanks to the Mobile Bay. And though the city is located just a short drive from the sugar-white sands of the Alabama Gulf Coast—the beach is just an hour drive from downtown Mobile—there’s far too much to discover in Mobile before heading out for any other adventure. That includes everything from breweries and eateries to shopping and nature excursions, and what can’t be left off the must-see list is its historical attractions. The city is home to the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park—the top destination to journey into America’s military past—and the perfectly preserved 65-acre Bellingrath Gardens and Home.
While Mobile offers all this and so much more any time of year, there’s perhaps no better time to take a trip to this coastal destination than New Year’s Eve when the city sends out the year and welcomes a new one in the most elaborately festive of styles—and one that harkens back to its spot as the very first American Mardi Gras—with MoonPie Over Mobile.
MoonPie Over Mobile is an annual celebration hosted on New Year’s Eve in the city that features a variety of entertainment options, from musical performances and parades to fireworks and a laser light show, but it all centers around one particularly sweet addition: the MoonPie. The countdown to midnight begins with the world’s largest moon pie being cut and served to revelers, and it culminates in the dropping of a giant moon pie descending the 32-story RSA BankTrust building.
The MoonPie has had a special place in Mobile for decades. Thanks to its softer packaging and ease of tossing (over traditional treats like Crackerjacks), MoonPie became the “throw” of choice when Mobile hosted America’s first Mardi Gras. Masked riders on the floats would throw MoonPies to the crowd. Since then, the city has continued to view the iconic marshamallow sandwich as its own special celebratory treat, so it was an easy choice to make when the city began its New Year’s Eve celebration back in 2008. Since then, MoonPie Over Mobile has continued to attract thousands of visitors each year, and this year is sure to be no exception.
Besides getting the opportunity to taste the delicious treat—and watching the world’s largest MoonPie drop at midnight—guests can enjoy a full night of entertainment. The evening commences with the opportunity to write those New Year’s resolutions on the resolution wall at the corner of St. Joseph & St. Francis streets and ends with a headlining performance of Third Eye Blind before the famous countdown to midnight.
There’s no better place to be this New Year’s Eve than in downtown Mobile taking part in an event that cannot be experienced anywhere else. Make your plans now to ring in the new year in the city that was Born to Celebrate!
For a full schedule of events or learn more about MoonPie Over Mobile, click here.