The wildly wacky Watermelon Drop returns on New Year’s
Eve to downtown Vincennes. Located near the riverfront at First and Main
Street, the celebration will feature music by DJ Shawn Brown, libations
from Cutters Way, and hot drinks and chill from the Vincennes Civitan Club
– all in a giant heated tent beginning at 10 p.m. (EST).
The 11th Annual Watermelon Drop has again attracted national attention. The
current issue of Midwest Living magazine features it in its top “Odd Lang
Syne” list of places to be on New Year’s Eve. Last year Country Woman
magazine featured a large photo of the Watermelon Drop with the headline,
“Countdown to Quirky.”
Previously featured by CNN and CBS, Smithsonian magazine also included the
Watermelon Drop in its story, “From Possums to 200 Pounds of Bologna: Weird
Things Cities Drop on New Year’s Eve.” The article noted that crystal balls
aren’t the only things used to mark the New Year – in many places across
the United States, cities drop objects that reflect local flavor and
culture,” such as watermelons.
This year the entertainment tent will be near the “splatform” where 19
local watermelons will fall at midnight, accompanied by music and a
spectacular fireworks display. Iliana Watermelon Queen Brilee Albrecht will
welcome the audience and reign over the Watermelon Drop.
“When lifted high in the sky, our 500-pound watermelon puts Vincennes on
par with celebrations such as Times Square and Alabama’s Moon Pie Drop,
said Will McCormick, chair of this year’s Watermelon Drop. He credits Rick
Linenburg and John Frenz for chairing the project the past ten years. “They
led a dedicated group of volunteers who have gained great visibility for
our county’s role in producing the best watermelons in the country.”
In 2015, the Watermelon Drop was one of only two U.S. festivals listed by
the British publication, The Guardian, in its list of the world’s “best
small festivals,” as recommended by its readers. Joining the Watermelon
Drop were events from Germany, Ireland, Italy, France, Switzerland, and
Vietnam. The article, which featured a photo of Vincennes’ giant
watermelon.
The editors of the world’s largest travel site, TripAdvisor, Inc., listed
the event among in its 2011 “Top Ten Quirkiest New Year’s Eve Celebrations
in America”—a list that also included North Carolina’s Possum Drop and
Alabama’s Moon Pie Drop.
Since its creation in 2008, the 18-foot watermelon has become a star
attraction in Vincennes, including a popular entry in the town’s parades.
People enjoy sharing photographs and videos of themselves standing next to
the giant watermelon too.
The Watermelon Festival has come a long way since a few friends gathered at
a small Vincennes New Year’s party and asked themselves the question, “Why
don’t we drop something in town to celebrate the New Year?”
“Thanks to the generosity of many sponsors and donors, as well as our
all-volunteer organization, we will we will continue this tradition that
reflects the creativity and can-do spirit of our community,” McCormick
said.
The event even inspired a parody by the Poet Laureate of Vincennes, which
sums up the anticipation of Vincennes residents.
‘Twas the night before New Year’s, when all through the town, all the
people were stirring and riverfront bound. The watermelons were shined and
stacked with care, in hopes to be selected for a launch through the air.
The revelers in Vincennes were all snug and well fed, while visions of
smashing watermelons danced in their head.
WHY IS THE WATERMELON DROP IN VINCENNES?
According to the Iliana Watermelon Association, one of the sponsors of the
Watermelon Drop, the credit for the wide popularity of Knox County’s
great-tasting watermelons is ideal soil deposited by the great glaciers of
the Ice Age. There are more than 7,000 acres of watermelon farms in or
around Knox County. As the county seat of Knox County, Vincennes is proud
to feature locally grown watermelons for its New Year’s Eve celebration.