BRUNSWICK - The city of Brunswick on Gerogia's coast has canceled its annual big-shrimp drop to welcome in the New Year. <br>
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Officials say they want to focus on a Christmas parade. <br>
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The New Year's Eve countdown drop of a nine-foot papier mache shrimp into a giant glass of cocktail sauce has been the highlight of Brunswick's family-friendly Party in the Park since 1996. <br>
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But when the party's organizer, the Downtown Development Authority, asked downtown merchants to choose between the shrimp and the Christmas parade, they chose the parade. <br>
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The authority's executive director -- Byran Thompson -- says the New Year's Eve event wasn't working in terms of cost. <br>
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The festival cost about $12,000 last year. <br>
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The outdoor festival's success also depended on the weather. On cold New Year's Eves, few people would attend. <br>
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The caricature shrimp is in storage, where it likely will stay until the annual Seafood Festival in May.
