VINCENNES, Ind. (AP) - An annual New Year’s Eve watermelon drop in southwestern Indiana is entering its 10th year.

Eighteen locally raised watermelons will be dropped at the stroke of midnight in Vincennes from an 18-foot watermelon replica that is hoisted into the air.

The Vincennes watermelon drop has received national attention since its inception. Travel website TripAdvisor once listed the event as one of the “Top Ten Quirkiest New Year’s Eve Celebrations in America.”

Event promoters say there are more than 7,000 acres of watermelon farms in or around Knox County. Vincennes is the Knox County seat.

The Illiana Watermelon Association says soil deposited by ice age glaciers makes for ideal watermelon growing.

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