Crappie Drop Will Mark Start Of New Year – Water Valley Style
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
James McCormick has been working in his garage for weeks building the Steampunk Crappie Contraption for the annual Water Valley Crappie Drop. McCormick’s creation is the third generation crappie for the New Year’s Eve event that started in 2017.
WATER VALLEY – What kind of fish has fire bell eyes, an ooga horn, confetti breath and is six feet long and tips the scales at almost 100 pounds?
A Steampunk Crappie Contraption of course – the kind that makes an annual New Year’s Eve appearance on Main Street. Water Valley resident James McCormick has been working since November on the giant fish he describes as “a big ol’ chunk of sculptural whimsy.”
In a nod to the world record five-pound, three ounce white crappie caught at Enid Lake in 1957, Water Valley’s first annual Crappie Drop was held on New Year’s Eve, 2017, when a six-foot, piñata-style crappie was lowered from the top of Yalorun Textiles building at midnight in a Water Valley style emulation of the Times Square shiny ball drop.
McCormick’s creation marks the third generation crappie for the celebration. The second generation crappie, also created by McCormick, was made of wood. The idea for a long-lasting crappie was spawned prior to last year’s drop when Lawton Gafford asked McCormick for ideas.
“Lawton came to me and asked if I had any ideas for an all-weather crappie. I immediately thought about a metal, sculptural fish, but there wasn’t time for last year’s drop,” he said.
The Steampunk Crappie’s components are largely recycled materials starting with old road signs for the exterior of the giant fish. McCormick spotted the signs in a roadside ditch and after waiting two years, he decided to pick them up. A neighbor discarded a pair of crutches that McCormick repurposed for a giant driveline that powers the fins and tail. The fish’s eyes are old fire bells and McCormick installed a classic ooga horn to compliment the bells for the midnight display. He purchased PVC pipes and fittings for the innards that will be connected to an air tank inside the fish that will propel confetti from the mouth as the clock chimes midnight.
McCormick reported the Crappie Drop boasts strong support, a Krewe of Crappie that includes Cliff Johnson as the event co-organizer alongside McCormick. Joe Gurner is the DJ, Linda and Jamie Scott are the fire masters for the burning of the burdens, Izzy Thornton is in charge of the electronics that will allow the bells and whistles to be remotely activated during the drop.
Southern Tree Solutions is bringing a bucket truck for the lifting and lowering of the crappie. The Water Valley Main Street Association is providing treats and Lee McMinn is bringing sparklers. Annette Trefzer will open Bozarts Gallery as the staging for the drop, ensuring there are inside accommodations in case of rain. Others in the community have helped provide funding for the fish as the cost of the project continues to grow.
New Year’s Eve Destination
Cliff Johnson, speaking to city officials earlier in the month, reported the event is growing each year.
“People around north Mississippi think the Crappie Drop is really cool,” Johnson said during the Dec. 5 city meeting. “We did very little promotion last year and over 100 people attend. Families came out, people like it because it is only an hour long. We count down, just like the ball in New York City.”
The party starts at 11 p.m. at Bozarts. Each attendee will be given a strip of paper to write their burdens of 2023 for the Burning of the Burdens as the clock ticks closer to the new year.
What’s Ahead?
McCormick also has an idea for a year-round presence for the Steampunk Crappie. After the Crappie Drop he plans to see if there is enthusiasm in the community to install the crappie in the Pocket Park. The fish’s tricks including the horn and swim action could come to life each day at noon.
