Organizer: Vincennes watermelon drop ends bicentennial

VINCENNES, Ind. (AP) – The annual New Year’s Eve watermelon drop in Vincennes will be Indiana’s last event celebrating the state’s bicentennial.

Knox County Bicentennial Committee Chairman Mark Hill says the southwestern Indiana city is delighted to host the final legacy event for the state’s 200th birthday. He says Vincennes was Indiana’s first city, founded in 1732. He says the site of the festival celebrating the new year is historic, being surrounded by the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, the Lincoln Memorial Bridge, Indiana’s first Main Street and the Wabash River.

Organizers say 17 local watermelons will fall at midnight, followed by a fireworks display. The event is free.