You’ve heard of a big ball and a peach dropped at the stroke of midnight to ring in the new year. But how about a chicken nugget? Truett’s Grill in McDonough will kick off 2009 tonight by dropping an 800-pound chicken nugget into a tub of honey mustard.

Chick-fil-A officials insist no chickens were harmed - the 6-foot-tall nugget is made from plaster. And the honey mustard is really just karo syrup with food coloring, but it looks like honey mustard, said Becky Ragsdale, a hostess at Truett’s Grill.

“It took six guys to lift it. It’s now hanging from a huge crane,” Ragsdale said. “Some of the other [Chick-fil-A] restaurants have New Year’s Eve celebrations, but we’re the only nugget drop.”

Truett’s has been dropping a nugget for five years now and every year the event gets bigger. Restaurant officials say they expect about 5,000 people tonight.

Festivities start at 7 p.m. and run until midnight at Truett’s at 1785 Jonesboro Road, McDonough.

There will face-painting, live music, a fire-eating magician, balloon animals and rides for children. But the highlight of the event is definitely the nugget drop, which will be followed by fireworks, Ragsdale said.

The event is free. Parking is available at the Sam’s Club and Dick’s Sporting Goods stores across the street.