North Carolina Watermelon Festival

The North Carolina Watermelon Festival is an annual celebration of the watermelon started in 1957 in Raleigh, North Carolina.[1] In 1985 it was relocated to Murfreesboro, North Carolina. The festival features a seed-spitting contest, the crowning of a "Miss Watermelon" and an award for the best/biggest melons.

There'll be no celebration planned in 2020.

Winners

Watermelon grower
  • 1970 - Ed Weeks, 118 lb (53.52 kg; 8.43 st)[1]
  • 2004 - Adam Worley, 195.5 lb (88.68 kg; 13.96 st)[2]

Miss Watermelon / Watermelon Queen
  • 1966 Eleanor Brantley[3]
  • 1986 Whitney Cuthbertson[4]
  • 2003 Tracy Lynn Register[5]
  • 2009 Kensley Leonard[6]
  • 2014 Breanna Williams[7]

Seed spitting
  • 1963 - Wally Ausley - 35 ft 06 in (10.82 m)*[8]
  • 1970 - John "Speedy" Adams - 29 ft (8.84 m)[1]
  • 2004 - Kristin Cucci[2]

* World Record

Activities

The four-day event now includes:

  • a parade
  • musical performances
  • food festival
  • carnival rides
  • craft sales
  • 5 km run
  • watermelon-seed spitting contest
  • crowning of the Watermelon Princesses
  • a visit from the North Carolina Watermelon Queen

References
  1. Associated Press (25 July 1970). "118 Pound Melon". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. p. 6D. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  2. Ives, Millard K. (1 August 2004). "Minding Melons". Star-News. Wilmington, North Carolina. p. 1B. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  3. "Cool and Refreshing". Kentucky New Era. Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Associated Press. 13 July 1966. p. Front Page. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  4. Bryant, Cal (29 July 2013). "Watermelon Festival begins Wednesday". Suffolk News-Herald. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  5. "NC Watermelon Festival opens Wednesday". Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald. 29 July 2003. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  6. "Watermelon Day at the State Farmers Market Thursday, Aug. 6". In the Field. North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  7. "Watermelon Queen 2014 Breanna Williams". North Carolina Watermelon Festival. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  8. "No Melon, No Spit-Off". The Dispatch. Lexington, North Carolina. United Press International. 14 September 1963. Retrieved 9 April 2015.

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