Vincennes' watermelon drop marking its 10th New Year's Eve

VINCENNES, Ind. (AP) - Organizers say they're ready for what will be the 10th annual watermelon drop in Vincennes to mark the arrival of the new year.

Plans are for a 500-pound, 18-foot-long metal watermelon to be hoisted into the air and at the stroke of midnight Sunday 18 real watermelons - one for each year counting back to 2000 - will be released to drop onto the "splatform" below.

The southwestern Indiana city's event was started to pay homage to Knox County's many melon farms.

Co-founders Rick Linenburg and John Frenz tell the Vincennes Sun-Commercial this will be their final time organizing the event that includes musical performers and fireworks.

They say they're proud the watermelon drop has brought attention to Vincennes but that it's time for others to take over.

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Information from: Vincennes Sun-Commercial, http://www.vincennes.com