This weekend will mark the first Watermelon Fest – a night of games, music and, of course, watermelon -hosted by the ISU Junior Greek Council.

Watermelon Fest will be from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday on Central Campus. Activities will include free food, watermelon games and a live broadcast from KCCI radio.

“We’ve organized 10 different games – all using watermelons,” said Jane Legg, Collegiate Panhellenic Council new member coordinator.

“[Games] vary from the watermelon shot-put to the seed-spitting contest.”

The fruity festival was set for the beginning of the year to kick off the three-week Becoming a New Greek program, said Bryan Rooney, Interfraternity Council new member educator.

“Watermelon Fest was brought into September to get all of the students in our greek community involved in the B.A.N.G. program,” he said.

The Junior Greek Council is an organization devoted to preparing new members of the ISU greek community for leadership activities on campus and within each respective chapter.

Rooney, junior in hotel, restaurant and institution management, and Legg, senior in apparel merchandising, design and production, have been working with the Junior Greek Council since they took their positions in December.

The pair has been planning the Watermelon Fest and the Becoming a New Greek program since March.

B.A.N.G is geared “to create a fun interactive atmosphere with a diversity of essential educational programs to better our new members,” Rooney said.

Legg said the B.A.N.G. program was initiated at Iowa State to educate the new members of fraternities and sororities on issues that face the community.

The Watermelon Fest is free, but donations are welcome. All proceeds will go to the Children’s Convalescent Home. Children from the home will be present at the event to participate in the games and give the greek students a chance to interact with the kids.