Janelle Monae And David Koechner Ring In The New Year At The 25th Annual Peach Drop Powered By M&M'S® Peanut Chocolate Candies

ATLANTA, Dec. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the country's most celebrated New Year's Eve events will sound even sweeter this year. Today, Mars Chocolate North America and Underground Atlanta announced a star-powered lineup to ring in the "Year of Peanut" at the 25^th Annual Peach Drop Powered by M&M'S® Peanut. Acclaimed R&B songstress Janelle Monáe will headline the event with an electrifying performance, while actor and comedian David Koechner will serve as emcee throughout the evening.

The 25^th Annual Peach Drop Powered By M&M'S® Peanut takes place on Tuesday, Dec. 31 at Underground Atlanta and will feature a full day of activities and entertainment, including live performances throughout the day and night. In one of the South's most beloved traditions, the evening will culminate with the dropping of an 800-pound illuminated peach as the clock strikes midnight. This year's event will see a new twist on this celebrated ritual, as a giant M&M'S® Peanut will be featured alongside the peach and reveal a colorful surprise to spectators shortly after the drop is made.

Headlining the festivities is Atlanta's own R&B and soul musician Janelle Monáe. Her unique style and vocal flare have earned her loyal fans across the country, as well as accolades such as Billboard's Women in Music "Rising Star" and Atlanta Magazine's 2013 Musician of the Year. Monáe, a multiple Grammy Award nominee for her solo efforts and her recent collaboration with Fun on the rock anthem "We Are Young," is eagerly awaiting her New Year's Eve homecoming.

M&M'S® Peanut Brings Celebrity Headliner and Emcee to the 25^th Annual Peach Drop

"The Peach Drop is an Atlanta tradition," Monáe said. "I couldn't be more excited to be a part of such a storied event with the city and fans that have made me feel truly at home."

Earlier this week, M&M'S® Peanut  introduced David Koechner as The Peanutty Professor, an eccentric explorer who's spent his life searching for the perfect peanut, in "The Search for the One" content series. Koechner's search for The One will take him to legendary Underground Atlanta to host the countdown to midnight at the 25^th Annual Peach Drop Powered by M&M'S® Peanut. Koechner will share his adventures on the Main Stage at various times between 9:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m.

"You could say I'm nuts about peanuts," said David Koechner, in his Peanutty Professor role. "So when I received an invitation to ring in the New Year with M&M'S® Peanut, I couldn't pass up the opportunity."

The event kicks off at 11:00 a.m. and will include three stages with live music.

To learn more about the 25^th Annual Peach Drop Powered by M&M'S® Peanut visit www.peachdrop.com.  Peach Drop is an Underground Atlanta signature event.

About Mars Chocolate North America
Mars Chocolate North America is the North American chocolate operations of Mars, Incorporated.  In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars' first roots as a confectionery company.  In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY® bar. In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of  building a business based on the objective of creating a "mutuality of benefits for all stakeholders" – this objective serves as the foundation of Mars, Incorporated today. Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $33 billion, six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, Symbioscience, and more than 72,000 Associates worldwide that are putting its Principles into action to make a difference for people and the planet through its performance.

Mars brands include: Petcare – PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, KITEKAT®, BANFIELD® Pet Hospital, NUTRO®, SHEBA®, DREAMIES® and CESAR®; Chocolate – M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY® and TWIX®; Wrigley – DOUBLEMINT®, EXTRA®, ORBIT® and 5™ chewing gums, SKITTLES® and STARBURST® candies, and ALTOIDS® AND LIFESAVERS® mints.  Food –UNCLE BEN'S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®, MASTERFOODS®, SEEDS OF CHANGE® and ROYCO®; Drinks – ALTERRA ^® Coffee Roasters coffee,  THE BRIGHT TEA CO.^® tea, DOVE^®/GALAXY^® Hot Chocolate, and FLAVIA^® brewer; Symbioscience – COCOAVIA™, WISDOM PANEL™ and SERAMIS®. 

For more information, please visit www.mars.com.  Follow us: facebook.com/mars, twitter.com/marsglobal, youtube.com/mars.

About Peach Drop
The 25^th annual Peach Drop powered by M&M'S Peanut is the Largest New Year's Eve Celebration in the Southeast and is a 16-hour event with a full day of family fun and an evening of top-notch entertainment!  Beginning at 11 a.m., Underground Atlanta will be filled with carnival-style rides, live music, face painting, street performers and festival food. As 2014 nears, the main stage will light up with live performances and the 800-pound Peach will begin its decent just before the clock strikes midnight.   The party will continue in Kenny's Alley until 4 a.m.!  Packed full of excitement, the Peach Drop is Atlanta's favorite way of ringing in the New Year!

About Underground Atlanta
A festival marketplace located in the heart of the downtown, Underground Atlanta is one of the city's favorite attractions and a cultural hub. Opened in 1969 as a "city beneath the streets," Underground Atlanta still exhibits many of the significant architectural features from its original structure. Visitors can pick up a self-guided History tour brochure at the information booth and discover the history firsthand. Explore six city blocks, 12 acres and three levels of 225,000 square feet of shopping, restaurants and entertainment at Underground Atlanta, a destination with more than 100 years of history. Visit on Wednesdays at lunchtime for a selection of Atlanta's most delicious food trucks lining the street or stop by the world's first Pac-Man Play Arcade. Underground Atlanta offers a year-round calendar of cultural, entertainment, community and family programming with its signature events being Peach Drop on New Year's Eve and Heritage Arts Festival in July. For more information, visit www.underground-atlanta.com or call 404-523-2311.

SOURCE Mars Chocolate North America

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