Get ready for the Walleye Drop in Port Clinton

PORT CLINTON — Port Clinton's unique New Year's celebration, featuring a 600-pound fiberglass walleye, returns this year. The Walleye Drop offers different scheduled events throughout the day, including lowering the massive fish at the stroke of midnight, fireworks, and other events at nearby restaurants. Leading up to the big event, guest can enjoy a minnow drop kids party, touch-a-truck, hula hoop contest, live music, a giant dice game and more.New features this year will include a "Bar Swim" and a scavenger hunt.The "Bar Swim" will be the first bar hop featuring three luxury buses loaded with amenities to help keep the party rolling.The free buss tour will be offered every 30 minutes, stopping at six establishments throughout the area.Flippin' Around the Pennisula, another Walleye Drop event, is a scavenger hunt that encourages people to stop at 15 businesses to get a stamp. Once an individual receives 15 stamps, they are encouraged to turn the slip into the Knights of Columbus, 109 E. Perry St., for a chance to win prizes. Several community members spoke about the Walleye Drop.• Drew Smercina: I think the walleye drop does a great job of getting a tourist town like Port Clinton out of hibernation during the winter months. The area's community involvement seems to skyrocket in the summer but suffers in the off season. I enjoy watching everyone come out to celebrate the new year together. I think wintertime events like this are extremely important in making Port Clinton feel like a community and not just a tourist destination. I also think events like this help to attract young adults to the area, which I think is a lacking demographic. It's also important to note that the walleye drop is pretty unique to northwest Ohio there really isn't another celebration like it around.• Andrew Carden: I enjoy the gathering of people to watch the walleye drop at midnight. I think it's a great idea to bring people to the city and is the only ball drop in the area (that I know of.) It's important for the city to continue this tradition bc it brings a lot of people to the city which helps boost revenue for the businesses downtown during the off-season.• Kristina Willoughby: it's important to bring life back into the area during the off season. The Walleye Drop is one big party across the entire peninsula. It's a fun family-friendly event that has attractions for everyone. Want to go?What: Walleye DropWhen: 3 p.m. Monday to 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. The drop begins at midnight.Where: Madison Street, downtown Port ClintonCost: FreeWylie the Walleye sits in front of the stage before being raised for the Walleye Drop in Port Clinton."Wylie the Walleye" prepared to drop to bring in 2016 in Port Clinton on Thursday evening