"5 Things You Need to Know About..." National Watermelon Day, Farmer's Markets, and Library Expansion

1. According to the National Watermelon Promotion Board Wednesday is National Watermelon Day! To celebrate this healthy and delicious food, we’ve got a great link to some recipes. You’ll find beverages and cocktails as well as desserts and salads here, which is what one might expect to come across when searching for watermelon ideas. What you may be surprised to find are some unique and fun entrees, sandwiches and side dishes as well. Check out the watermelon cheddar burgers, General Tso’s watermelon, kielbasa with watermelon relish, scallops and watermelon kabobs, Sloppy Joes and more – not your ordinary dinner!

2. The National Watermelon Promotion Board provides practically everything there is to know abut watermelons, from health and nutrition facts to fun and trivial information. Here are some fun facts:

• The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred about 5,000 years ago in Egypt.
• Watermelon is 92 percent water.
• Watermelon's official name is Citrullus Lanatus, a member of the botanical family Cucurbitaceae. It is a cousin to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash.
• By weight, watermelon is the most-consumed melon in the U.S., followed by cantaloupe and honeydew melon.
• Early explorers used watermelons as canteens.
• The first cookbook published in the U.S. in 1776 contained a recipe for watermelon rind pickles.
• In 1990, Bill Carson of Arrington, TN, grew the largest watermelon ever recorded at 262 pounds. It is still on the record books (the Guinness Book of World Records, to be exact).

3. As many innovative party planners know, carving a bowl out of a watermelon makes a summery centerpiece for your picnic table. If you want to be even more impressively creative, check out these watermelon carvings. Everything from a shark head, turtle and Tyrannosaurus Rex to a submarine, convertible and more are all there. Who knew you could do so much with watermelons? Happy National Watermelon Day!

4. If you're looking for a watermelon on Wednesday to celebrate National Watermelon Day, you can head down to the where they'll likely have a few on hand. 

There will also be a face painter and free temporary tattoos for children, and live music courtesy of Deborah Simmons, an MCC music professor. The market runs from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

5. And the Tuesday to expand the Mary Cheney Library an additional 10,000-square feet into Center Memorial Park for an estimated $10 million.