The Walleye Drop will celebrate its 30th anniversary this year. (Submitted photo)

BY SHERI TRUSTY

PORT CLINTON – In 1995, a group of Port Clinton residents dropped a big fish out of the sky on New Year’s Eve, and a new tradition was born. Now, 30 years later, the Walleye Drop has become a wildly popular, nationally-recognized annual tradition, drawing up to 10,000 people to the city to watch 20-foot Wylie Walleye fall from the heavens to reel in the New Year.

To celebrate the Walleye Drop’s 30th anniversary, the Wylie Walleye Foundation has planned its biggest New Year’s event ever. Because the event draws more and more people each year, it was moved to downtown Port Clinton, where the main stage will be located at the corner of Perry and Madison streets, in front of McCarthy’s Irish Pub.

The event will kick off when food trucks open along the festival route at 3 p.m. A Touch-a-Truck event will be held downtown from 3 to 5 p.m.

Wylie Walleye Foundation board members, Lisa and Joe Kuzma, share a midnight kiss at the 2024 Walleye Drop. (Submitted photo)

The popular Minnow Drop for kids will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Port Clinton Knights of Columbus located at 109 E. Perry St. in Port Clinton. The free event will include games, activities, a live DJ, a dance party, and food.

Walleye Drop opening ceremonies will be held at the main stage at 5 p.m., and a mix of live music and DJ entertainment will begin with Meager Kings at 5:30 p.m.

The annual ticketed VIP event will be held at Three Legged Dog in downtown Port Clinton and includes a full dinner, two drink tickets, a champagne toast, live music, DJ entertainment, and New Year’s Eve merchandise. This year’s theme is Party Like It’s 1995. Tickets for the 21+ event are $75 for individuals and $130 for couples and can be purchased at www.wyliewalleyefoundation.com or at Three Legged Dog.

Port Clinton Mayor Mike Snider will host the annually popular Rock-Paper-Scissors Tournament. Registration begins at 6:30 p.m. at The Island House, and the first round begins at 7 p.m. The Rock-Paper-Scissors Finals will be held on the main stage at 7:30 p.m.

The Minnow Drop for kids will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

The Walleye Drop’s Bar Swim, which has become an annual tradition for eventgoers, will be held from 7 to 11:30 p.m. Four buses have separate routes that will travel to bars in Port Clinton and Marblehead.

At midnight, Wylie will make his 30th descent over Port Clinton, followed by a fireworks display.

The Walleye Drop’s success is due to the hard work and dedication of the Wylie Walleye Foundation committee, which includes Chairman Joe Kuzma, Lisa Kuzma, Michele Ioddo, Alec Trumpower, Shelley Terrell, Nick Isaac, and honorary board member, Kevin Rowe, who passed away in May.

The Walleye Drop has grown tremendously in its 30 years, and with growth came benevolence. This year, the Wylie Walleye Foundation committee will make a donation to Bistro 163, a pay-it-forward diner that addresses food insecurity in Ottawa County, and to the Port Clinton Fire Department.

For more information on the Walleye Drop, visit www.wyliewalleyefoundation.com.