Giant Hershey's Kiss (New Year's raise)

Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States

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Listed, not yet checked · Oct 2026

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A seven-foot, 300-pound replica Hershey's Kiss is hoisted three stories up the side of the Hershey Press Building at midnight on New Year's Eve in Hershey, Pennsylvania, a tradition since 2005.

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Giant Hershey's Kiss (New Year's raise)

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Site-level location · 40.2857° N, 76.6512° W

FIELD GUIDE

The story

Most towns drop something at midnight on New Year's Eve; Hershey raises a giant Hershey's Kiss. At the stroke of midnight, with fireworks overhead, the Kiss is hoisted three stories up the side of the historic Hershey Press Building.

According to Hershey Entertainment & Resorts, the raise began in 2005 with the first Downtown Hershey New Year's Eve celebration. One of the founders, Mike Pries, said in a 2016 interview that the original idea was to light the Kissing Tower at Hersheypark while it rose, but that was judged not viable. A giant Hershey's Bar or a Kiss was the second choice, and the Kiss won. He said raising it rather than dropping it would look better against fireworks.

The replica was made locally by Stoner Graphix of Hummelstown. Hershey's own figures are more than seven feet tall and 300 pounds, growing to 12 feet with its plume. Pries said about 5,000 people came in 2005, and that attendance had grown to around 10,000 a year by 2016. That first year freezing rain stopped the Kiss halfway up, and the maintenance team had to pull it the rest of the way by hand.

Hershey said in 2018 that the Kiss is stored through the year by the Hersheypark maintenance team and touched up by the park's sign shop. For the 2025 celebration, Hershey said activities would run from 11 a.m. until midnight, with main stage music from 9 p.m. At midnight a countdown led by Hershey characters would raise the Kiss before a laser and pyrotechnics display, even if it was foggy. Pries said in a 2016 Hershey interview that the event was free, and NBC10 reported the same in 2023.

The Kiss is raised at midnight on New Year's Eve, so a visit to see it means being in downtown Hershey that night.

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WHAT TO EXPECT

Seen at the Downtown Hershey New Year's Eve celebration, which NBC10 reported was free in 2023. For 2025, Hershey said activities would run from 11 a.m., main stage music would start at 9 p.m., and the Kiss would be raised at midnight.

ACCESS

The Kiss is raised at midnight on New Year's Eve in downtown Hershey; Hershey said in 2018 that it is hoisted on the side of the Hershey Press Building and stored the rest of the year. NBC10 reported free admission in 2023. Check the Hershey events page for the 2026 schedule.

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