New this year will be a Barbecue Cook-Off Contest with judging at 9 p.m. Riverfront Pavilion, revelers at the Riverfront Pavilion will enjoy food, drink, music, games, noisemakers and of course, fun. There will also be a DJ and Karaoke. An assortment of Watermelon Drop clothing and novelty items will also be for sale. A large crowd is expected to cheer and raise a toast as an 18-foot, 500-pound watermelon rises high in the sky during the New Year’s countdown. At the stroke of midnight, 13 Knox County watermelons will drop to a “splatform” as fireworks light the sky. The top prizes in the Barbecue Cook-Off are first place, $500; second place, $250; third prize, $100, and fourth place, $50. Area businesses, clubs and families are also invited to reserve space to set-up tents or campers adjacent to the Pavilion on either Busseron Street or First Street.The entry fee for the Barbecue Cook-Off Contest is $50 and for vendors it is $25 with reservations made by calling Shannon at 812-885-2640. Space rental for tents and campers is $25 with reservations made by calling the Convention and Visitors Bureau at 800-886-6443.

• Admission charged