Watermelon Festivals in 2017: Where, When and More to Find a Watermelon Festival Near You!

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Watermelon Festivals in 2017: Where, When and More to Find a Watermelon Festival Near You!

Looking for a Watermelon festival in June 2017? There is no other listing as complete and current as this list, just updated! Watermelon festivals are held through the United States, Canada, Britain, and Australia and much of the world. All the Watermelon festivals we can find are listed on this page! If you love Blueberries, look for a festival near you below! And I'm looking for more Watermelon festivals! Please write me, if you know of any to add!  I update the dates as soon as the festivals publish their information, but you can always click on the links (usually the name of the festival) to see the current information on the festival's own website. 

Always click on the links (the blue, underlined name of the each festival) to confirm this year's dates on the website for each festival. If they don't have a website, call the phone number provided, but ALWAYS CONFIRM THIS YEAR'S DATES AND TIMES BY EITHER VIEWING THEIR WEBSITE OR CALLING.

Click here for the form to add a festival and have detailed information; or click here if you have general information and are not connected with the event!

Watermelon Festivals in 2017: Where, When and More to Find a Watermelon Festival Near You!

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United States

Alabama

  • Franklin County Watermelon Festival - August 16, 2013 - August 17, 2013
    103 N. Jackson Ave., Russellville, AL 35653. Phone: 256-332-1760.  (ADDED: July 29, 2013, from their website)

Alaska

Arkansas

  • Hope Watermelon Festival - August 8, 2013 - August 10, 2013
    Hope, AR. The Hope Watermelon festival features numerous activities including Arts & Crafts, food, entertainment and other family-oriented activities. Nearly 300 Arts and Crafts booths will be set up at the festival grounds. The Arts and Crafts come from a 6 state area. The festival also features dozens of food booths, serving everything from burgers and corn dogs to pork rinds and "chicken-on-a-stick". Local civic clubs also hold dinners featuring such down-home fare as locally grown smoked chicken and golden fried catfish. The Watermelon Festival features a variety of musical talent each year. What else can you do at the festival? You can participate in a 5K race, take in a dog show, enter the "Watermelon Idol" talent contest or play "hillbilly horseshoes". The Watermelon Olympics will also be held, pitting local teams against each other in such events as the melon-toss. There's also an antique car show, an antique engine show featuring old steam engines, and a volleyball tournament. The festival also features a number of melon-oriented events such as the seed-spitting contest and the Watermelon eating contest And what of the famous Hope melons? Those attending will be able to see some of the bigger specimens of the year, some tipping the scales at close to 200 pounds. Ice-cold watermelon will be sold by the slice for $1.25 each day and numerous melon growers will have whole melons on sale at the festival for visitors to take home. (ADDED: July 29, 2013, from their website)

California

  • Alpine Village Oktoberfest - every Friday to Sunday from the second week in September through the end of October
    833 West Torrance Blvd, Torrance, CA 90502. Phone: (310) 327-4384. Among the fun activities is a cow-milking contest, Woodsawing,  Steinholding, Food, Beer, Chicken Dance and MUCH more! Beer Garden: Every Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Alpine Inn: Wednesday & Thursday 11:30 am to 2:30 pm. THE LARGEST AND LONGEST OKTOBERFEST IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA! OMM PA PA BRASS BANDS. (ADDED: May 23, 2009)
  • Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons Festival - August 16, 2013 - August 18, 2013
    Huntington Beach, CA.
  • Sunland-Tujunga Watermelon Festival at the Rose Bowl - August 16, 2013 - August 18, 2013
    Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA. Open: FRI from 5:00pm - 10:00pm; SAT from 12:00pm - 10:00pm; SUN from 12:00pm - 10:00pm. Admission: General: $10 | Kids: $5. Click here to SAVE 20%. There are a whole bunch of different activities at the Watermelon Festival from food and shopping to games, and bands. All ages are welcome and there is something for everyone. Free watermelon all weekend long. We ll slice and dice until your stomach is full. Traditional booth games, Arcade games and more. Test your skills at the amusement booths ring toss, darts and carnival games of all kinds! Join a seed spitting contest or try your luck at the raffle. You could win prizes, cash, and more at the evening drawings. Clothing, jewelry, gifts, arts & crafts, face painting, palm and card reading, and more! Great bands from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. You ve heard their songs on commercials, radio, television and movies now come see them perform live. Details to come! Check back to find out which great bands will be in the line-up for your enjoyment. From originals to covers, Click here to see our entertainment lineup. Fun for the Kids: Animals for kids to pet and story telling from The Village Poets.
    Does your youngster love animals? They can play with animals that you probably wouldn t find in the neighborhood. We ve got goats, sheep, and more. There will also be story telling, clowns, funny balloons and special entertainers just for the kids. The little ones will be sure to love all our games, prizes, foods, snacks, deserts, face painting and more! And tons of contests for tons of talent. We ve got tons of fun contests each and every year at the Watermelon Festival. There is something for everyone s talents Recipe Contests, Poetry Contests, Watermelon Eating Contests, Watermelon Carving Contests, Seed Spitting Contests, and more. Be sure to view our contests page to learn more about this year s competitions.  (ADDED: July 29, 2013, from their website)

Colorado

Connecticut

Florida

  • Chiefland Watermelon Festival - the first Saturday in June, every year
    Chiefland, FL. City Park, Tommy Usher Center. The Parade runs from high school to CR 345. Watermelons, parade, music, crafts, Watermelon Queen Contest. Call (352) 493-2330. Alternate phone: (352) 493-1849 for more information. A one-day festival includes arts and crafts exhibitors, and children's activities, such as the Greased Pole and the Seed Spitting contests. Free cold watermelon, donated by local growers, is served by Civitan members and other volunteers throughout the day. The festival parade is made up of floats with a watermelon theme, high schools bands, fire engines, and cars chauffeuring contestants of the Watermelon Festival Queen contest. Local growers enter their biggest and best melons in the watermelon weighing contest, conducted in three categories. Following the awards ceremony, the delicious entries are auctioned off. Their proceeds help pay for festival expenses. Children's activities are a special part of the festival. The Little King and Queen Contest, organized by the Chiefland Woman's Club, is for youngsters between three and five years old. Each year, 20 to 30 pre-school children dress up and parade in front of an auditorium full of proud relatives and friends. The festival is sponsored by Chiefland Activities Incorporated, which consists of the Civitans and the Chiefland Woman's Club.
  • Jefferson County Annual Watermelon Festival - Held the third weekend of June,
    Monticello, FL. Phone: (850)-997-5552. Email: info@monticellojeffersonfl.com. This festival has enjoyed 65 plus years of watermelon, music, children's theater, pageants, Street Dance, arts and crafts vendors, food, a 5K run, car show, art show ghost tours seed spitting contest, watermelon carving contest, softball tournament, Beer Garden, parade and much, much more. The Watermelon Festival continues as a time-honored tradition that says it's summertime. See the below schedule for details on how you can participate, volunteer, enjoy, or become a vendor! This is your one-stop spot for the 66th Annual Watermelon Festival.
    June 4, Watermelon Pageants
    June 10, Kickoff Dinner, Bed Race, and Rodeo
    June 11, Rodeo
    June 16, Woman's Club Fashion Show
    June 17, Rotary Barbecue, Street Dance & Children's Theatre
    June 18, FMB Breakfast, Antique Car Show, Children's Theatre, Parade & Festival.
    (ADDED: April 28, 2016, JBS)
  • Newberry Watermelon Festival - May; May 21, 2016 from 9:00AM - 4:30PM.
    Destiny Community Church, SW 202nd Street, Newberry, Florida 32669. Email: newberrywatermelonfestival@gmail.com. The 71st Newberry Watermelon Festival will be held at Destiny Community Church's future location. Each year the Newberry Watermelon Festival committee works hard to improve the festival and its activities. The watermelons are always provided from a local grower and given to the festival goers for FREE. We have beauty pageants for ages 0-22 years. Our pageants are held at the Newberry Oak View Middle School Auditorium starting on Friday for girls ages 5-16 years old and on Saturday for the boys and girls ages 0-4 years old. Our Queen's pageant for young ladies ages 17-22 years old are held on Friday with the Queen being crowned on Saturday. Our 2008 Master of Ceremonies for the pageants was 93.7FM K-Country's very own Midday DJ, Mr. Lewis Stokes. Lewis has graciously volunteered his time and talents to our festival pageants for several years now. Some of the favorite festival activities started many years ago and still continue today. These activities include contests for watermelon eating, seed spitting, hog calling, pie/cake baking, and of course the "Big Melon." (ADDED: April 28, 2016, JBS)
  • Panhandle Watermelon Festival- Chipley, Florida - Held the last Saturday in June, from 10 am to 4 pm.
    Chipley, FL. Phone: (850) 638-6180. Email: washington@ifas.ufl.edu. Big Parade at 10:00 A.M. from Old High School through downtown. Held in the quaint Florida panhandle town of Chipley, at the Agricultural Center on Jackson Avenue, Highway 90. Events include: a Big Watermelon Contest, comedy shows and other surprise guests, a 5000 Meter Run, a Car & Truck Show, Contests for Kids, Tournament Horseshoe Pitching, Square dancing and Singers. There is also nightly entertainment at the Northwest Florida Campground, in Chipley games and plenty of entertainment for the kids. For More Information Contact : Washington County Ag. Center  (UPDATED: May 12, 2008)

Georgia

Illinois

Indiana

  • Knox County Watermelon Festival - Saturday, August 03, 2013, 8am-8pm (EST)
    Patrick Henry Square, Vincennes, Indiana. Directions: Located on the Historical George Roger's Clark Memorial Site. Schedule of Events:
    8:00 5K Run-Sponsored by Old National
    9:30 Baby/Toddler Contest-Sponsored by WZDM
    1:00-3:00 FREE CONCERT
    3:00 Seed Spitting/Watermelon Eating Contest-Sponsored by Willow Manor
    4:00 Cutest Pet Contest-Sponsored by Humane Society
    6:00 Miss Watermelon Pageant- Sponsored by WFML
    Great American Grill Out (Sponsored by AT & T)
    7am Kids Games, Tasty Food Booths, Crafts and Flea Market
    FREE WATERMELON by Nowaskie Melons.  (ADDED: July 29, 2013, from their website)

Iowa

Kansas

  • Oxford Lions Club Watermelon Feed Festival - September 7, 2013, starts at 10:00 am
    Napawalla Park, Oxford KS. Childrens Games at Napawalla Park at 10 AM. Childrens Parade down North Sumner at 1:45 PM. Parade at 2 PM down North Sumner. Watermelon Feed around 2:30 PM in Napawalla Park.  (ADDED: July 29, 2013, from their website)

Kentucky

  • Monroe County Watermelon Festival - Saturday - August 31, 2013; held annually on the Saturday prior to Labor Day
    downtown, Tompkinsville, KY. Phone: 270-487-5504. Email: susan.turner@uky.edu. Join about 10,000 other folks for the FREE 34th Annual Monroe County Watermelon Festival. The festivities include 150 vendors selling arts and crafts, commercial items and food, parade, quilt show, car show, and antique tractors, and more. (ADDED: July 29, 2013, from their website)

Louisiana

Massachusetts

Maine

Michigan

  • Howell Melon Festival - August 14th, 15th & 16th 2015
    200 E. Grand River Avenue , Howell, MI 48843. Phone: 517-546-0693. Email: melonfest@howellrecreation.org. Melons, food, artists, vendors, run, race, more: Annual Howell Melon Run200 E. Grand River Avenue, Doc May Memorial Melon bike Ride on Saturday, August 15  9:00am-11:00am. This ride has become a Melon Festival Tradition and is our way of celebrating the life and work of Dr. Pat May. The course is 15 miles and highlights historic neighborhoods, the McPherson Park Bike Path, Crosstown Trail, Howell City Park and Lakeview Cemetery. The ride ends back at the Courthouse where melon ice cream will be served. All Riders will receive a route map and commemorative t-shirt.  Annual Howell Melon Run on August 14. This is one of the most scenic and beautiful run/walks through residential streets, historic Lakeview Cemetery, and Howell City Park. The race starts and finishes in downtown Howell. Click here for a link to our Facebook page.  (ADDED: May 09, 2015, JBS)

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

  • Thurston Watermelon Days - September 10th, 11th, and 12th
    There are vendors, entertainment, and events that will be taking place. Tune into "Y101.3" in September for news about Watermelon Days. Make sure to verify out our local businesses as well as our Area Business Sponsors. Thank you to everyone who has added us on Facebook!!! Tune into Channel 9.1 and 9.2 in September to see our television ads.

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

  • North Carolina Watermelon Festival - July 31st through August 3rd, 2013
    Main Street, Murfreesboro, NC. Phone: 252-398-7695. Email: melons@watermelonfestivalnc.com. The festival and nightly street dances will be held in the Murfreesboro Historic District, one block north of Main Street. Enjoy a complimentary slice of the State's finest melons in Historic Murfreesboro, NC! 2013 will celebrate our 28th anniversary of the Watermelon Festival! Save the date -- July 31st through August 3rd, 2013 -- and plan to be a part of the festivities. (ADDED: July 29, 2013, from their website)
  • Outer Banks Watermelon Festival - August 8, 2013 - August 8, 2013
    Kitty Hawk, NC. Phone: (252) 441-1719, ext. 206. Email: events@kittyhawk.com. Come to the Kitty Hawk Kite store in Nags Head (mile post 12.5) for a big outdoor summer bash with a homegrown backyard feel. The Watermelon Festival is so much more than fun. It is one of the most unique festivals on the Outer Banks! We ll have tons of fun activities for kids and parents like: the splash tank, moon bounce, inflatable obstacle course, watermelon seed spitting distance contests, ice cream eating contests, face painting, and of course, tons of watermelon! Kitty Hawk Kites staff will be on site teaching kids how to use juggling sticks, balance boards, and letting them try out all of our top selling toys. We ll also have great music, food vendors on site, and one of the best raffles on the beach! Prices from activities will vary from $1-$10. Remember, proceeds benefit Wright Flight of NC. Proceeds from the Watermelon Festival go directly to the Wright Flight of NC a local non-profit that rewards 5th graders, who achieve their academic goals, with flight! The foundation has helped improve performance in local school districts and has given children the opportunities to do things like hang gliding, tandem hang gliding, and plane rides, that they may have not been able to do before. Students are also educated about the history and basic principles of flight. For more information on the 6th Annual Watermelon Festival, or other events held by Kitty Hawk Kites, please contact our Events Coordinator.

Ohio

Oklahoma

  • Rush Springs Watermelon Festival - August 10, 2013, Held each year on the second Saturday in August
    Jeff Davis Park, Rush Springs, OK 73082. Phone 580-476-3745 - Email: joe@joedorman.com.  They offer watermelon-themed activities, carnival rides and plenty of family friendly entertainment for all. Held continuously since 1948, the festival attracts over 20,000 visitors each year with all-day entertainment and free watermelon in the afternoon. Other festivities include a seed-spitting contest, an arts and craft fair featuring over 100 vendors, carnival rides, live entertainment, stage shows, watermelon exhibits and more. Snack on tasty concessions from on-site food vendors, or browse through rows of classic cars, motorcycles and trucks in the festival's annual antique car and motorcycle show while sipping a glass of cool lemonade.. A parade will also be held Friday evening at 5pm.  (ADDED: July 29, 2013, from their website)

Oregon

Pennsylvania

RRhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee

TeTexas

  • DeLeon Peach & Melon Festival - August 6 to 10, 2013
    De Leon, TX.
  • Luling Watermelon Thump festival - Late June
    Luling, Texas. The Watermelon Thump Association is a group of volunteers that meet monthly most of the year and weekly the two month prior to the big event, The Watermelon Thump. Led by its board, the Thump Association organizes a very large festival for a small town. For four days, the small population town of Luling, Texas (5800) brings in tens of thousands of visitors for a weekend of fun and music and the biggest seed-spitting contest in America.

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington, D.C.

Washington State

West Virginia

Wisconsin

 

 

Canada

British Columbia

Manitoba

Nova Scotia

Ontario

  • Straffordville Watermelon Festival - August 24, 2013 - August 24, 2013
    Straffordville, Ontario, Canada. Watermelon Fest Straffordville Firehall Pancake breakfast 7am, parade at 10am, Silent Auction at the community centre, free admission to enjoy food booths, craft vendors, musical entertainment, games & activities for all ages and family movie in the park at dusk...bring your blankets and lawn chairs!
     (ADDED: July 29, 2013, from their website)

Britain (England, Scotland and Wales)

Australia

Italy

Japan

(English websites)

 

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