Dybel said dropping an illuminated pierogi seemed logical since Whiting has become so closely associated with the filled dumpling.

"If you go out on the Internet and you do New Year's Eve drops, you'll see that around the country there's probably 30 or 40 of them that have them," Dybel said.

He said examples include a peach drop in Atlanta and a Hershey's Kiss drop in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

"It's interesting, it's funny and it's quirky, which is what Pierogi Fest is all about," Dybel said. "So it seemed like the right thing to do."

He said Region Signs, a Whiting business, created the pierogi that measures 10 feet across out of a type of foam insulation.

It will be hoisted up by a crane.

"When it comes down, it's going to come down into a 2017 cooking pot," Dybel said.

He said members of the Pierogi Fest's Busia Brigade are also expected to make an appearance.

"If you enjoy Pierogi Fest and you hate to have to wait another six months for it to happen, you can kind of come out and get a little taste of it now," Dybel said.