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In Kennett Square, Pa., A New Year's Eve Celebration of Mushroominess

By John McDevitt

KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. (CBS) -- The undisputable mushroom capital of the world, right here in Chester County, Pa., is holding a family-friendly New Year's Eve event that includes a new tradition:  its first "Mushroom Drop."

"Somebody asked me why are we doing this," says Kathi Lafferty, who helped coordinate the event, with a laugh.  "Well, why not?"

At the stroke of midnight, a giant, lighted mushroom will be lowered 80 feet from a crane  in the center of town, at State and Union Streets, near the Kennett Square clock tower.

"It's a stainless steel mushroom," Lafferty tells KYW Newsradio.  "I think we were advertising it as 700 pounds with lights and everything, but I think we are a little under that.   But it's eight feet wide and 7½ feet tall, and it's lighted with LED lights, and it actually looks like a chandelier in the sky."

The fun starts at 9pm.  There will be live music, food trucks, and the shops and restaurants around town will be open till midnight. It's also a charity fundraiser.

"We are asking for donations to the Kennett Food Cupboard, and their trucks will be on site," Lafferty says.

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