The night was cold but there was sweetness in the air as the PEEPSFEST® Chick Drop and fireworks display welcomed 2021 in Bethlehem when the 4-foot, 9-inch tall, 400-pound lit PEEPS® Chick descended Dec. 29 to the Levitt Pavilion lawn at the iconic SteelStacks.

After careful consideration for public health and safety in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Just Born Quality Confections and ArtsQuest hosted the 12th annual PEEPSFEST® celebration virtually, thanks to Service Electric Cable TV.

The PEEPS® Chick Drop, the highlight of the two-day virtual festival Dec. 30-31, was pre-recorded Dec. 29 so viewers could enjoy viewing the drop from the comfort of their homes when it was broadcast New Year’s Eve.

“This has been a challenging year,” Patrick Brogan, chief programming officer of ArtsQuest, said at the conclusion of the fireworks display that lit up the sky over Southside Bethlehem.

“Thanks to our great partners at Just Born and Service Electric, we could make this happen.”

“I’m thrilled to bring this event that is synonymous with New Year’s Eve in Bethlehem to new life this year,” Brogan said.

Also sharing their enthusiasm for the event were Meg Dowd, corporate affairs manager at Just Born, and Courtney Angle, Just Born’s corporate affairs specialist.

“PEEPSFEST® has been a tradition for 12 years in Bethlehem, a city that loves its traditions,” said Dowd, voicing her excitement that the tradition could continue even in the midst of the pandemic. “Our purpose is to bring sweetness to people’s lives.”

“I’m really excited to be able to pivot the event to present it virtually and bring sweetness to the community,” said Angle.

Though it’s impossible to know if Jackie Gleason ever sampled the confectionery treat that is PEEPS®, it’s probably safe to say he’d describe PEEPS® and the New Year’s Eve tradition with his trademark phrase: “How sweet it is!”