51st Annual Louisiana Watermelon Festivall

From 51st Annual Louisiana Watermelon Festivall Website:

Marion State Banks presents
The 51st Annual Louisiana Watermelon Festival
July 25th - 26th, 2014

The Louisiana Watermelon Festival is held in Farmerville, Louisiana annually the last weekend in July. Farmerville is located in Union Parish in the north Louisiana region. The Louisiana Watermelon Festival was founded by the Farmerville Jaycees in 1963. The Farmerville Jaycees consist of a group of young men and women who volunteer and strive to make a positive and economic impact in the community. The Watermelon Festival is celebrated each year as a way of promoting the watermelon industry and showing pride in their harvest.

Friday's events will include a tennis tournament, bicycle and tricycle races, arm wrestling contest, watermelon eating and seed spitting contests, a best dressed watermelon competition and a street dance. During these activities, arts and craft vendors, food and games will be open on the Courthouse Square.

Events on Saturday begin with a breakfast for the growers entering their watermelons in the size and quality contests. Watermelons may be entered in the size contest beginning at 8 am, the size contests is judged strictly on the basis of weight. The heaviest three watermelons in each category will be auctioned to the public. Quality contest watermelons are judged at the Union Parish Extension Service by measuring sugar content of the watermelons with a refractometer.

At 9 am Saturday, the festival parade will begin at Farmerville High School and travel down Main Street before making a block and returning to the high school. The morning will also contain a live broadcast from KXKZ radio. All day, vendors will be open on the Courthouse Square. The watermelon auction begins at 10 am on the Courthouse Square. The Miss Louisiana Watermelon Festival contestants, along with reigning and visiting queens, will greet the public beginning at noon.

The Louisiana Watermelon Pageant is one of the most prestigious in the state. The Teen and Miss contestants have an opportunity to continue on to compete in the Miss Louisiana Pageant. Our local businesses help by sponsoring the pageant in many ways, by monetary donation for the Teen & Miss winners to use toward their education.