Cave City’s 36th annual Watermelon Festival is set to welcome new events and Grammy award winning band Shenandoah the weekend of August 6th, 7th, and 8th. Since the 1980’s, Cave City has celebrated and shared their “world’s sweetest melons” with surrounding communities and returning friends during this annual festival.
This year’s festival features old favorites like seed spittin’, watermelon feasting, and the Watermelon Festival parade and welcomes new events such as a wet zone for children, and rodeo events. Along with the new events, 2015 welcomes a new committee of festival leaders. Julie Johnson, Chairperson of the Watermelon Festival Planning Committee; “To me the Watermelon Festival is about much more than watermelons. While we celebrate watermelons during the festival, the event is about home. It’s about roots, it’s about coming home. The school hosts an all school reunion the week of the festival. Many families plan family reunions around the festival. We want everyone who comes to the festival to feel like they have come home.”
Activities kick off Thursday, August 6 at 5:00 p.m. with watermelon judging, the Barking Beauties dog show, and a truck pull. The Palmers, a family bluegrass band originally from Arkansas and now residing in Louisiana, take the stage at 8:00 p.m.
Friday’s events begin at 9:00 a.m. with the kids’ fishing derby. Friday evening will feature live music from local bands The Lockhouse Orchestra and Kingsdown. The Cave City Cruizers will hold a drive through and burn out, and the night is set to end with a rodeo event co-sanctioned by the Arkansas Cowboy’s Association / International Professional Rodeo Association.
The festival ends with a full day of events on Saturday. The 3rd annual Melon Dash 5k begins at 7:00 a.m. Sponsored by the Bethany Project, all funds from the 5K support the organization’s Smart Start back to school event. The Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast is a community favorite and will be serving plates until 10:00 a.m.
The Watermelon Festival parade begins at 10:00 a.m. and kicks off an afternoon full of children’s activities. D&S Arena will host a farm animal petting zoo, bounce houses and a wet zone will be held at the park with arm bands available for $10 and Mattie’s Flea Market will host a “Meet the Animals” featuring Baby Tito the capuchin monkey, Rudy Roo the kangaroo and a baby camel.
Also scheduled for Saturday, the Cave City Cruizers and the Tri County Antique Tractor Club will be set up and showing off. The Cave City Sharpshooters will host a horseshoe pitching tournament as well.
The Watermelon grower games will begin at 3:00 p.m. featuring watermelon eating, melon tossing, watermelon stacking and more. At 4:00 p.m. the Cave City registered watermelon growers will host a feast with the world’s sweetest melons available for sampling. A seed spittin’ and watermelon eating contest will follow. At 5:00 p.m. the prize melon will be auctioned with all of the proceeds being donated to Arkansas Children’s Hospital. At 7:00 p.m. the D&S Family Rodeo will present mutton busting and a kid’s bull riding competition at the D&S Arena.
Saturday is also a day full of music. Headlining this year’s Watermelon Festival is Grammy award winning band Shenandoah. Another must see band taking the stage is Country Fare featuring Congressman Rick Crawford. David Lynn Jones, Garrett Duncan and Luke Stroud and the 50’s Beat are all set to perform throughout the day as well.
Admission to the festival is free, with the main stage and most scheduled events taking place at the Cave City Park. Artisans, food and craft vendors, kid’s activities, and free entertainment will also be set up around the park. Parking will available adjacent to the park. On Saturday night, to accommodate the expected turnout, additional parking will be available at the Cave City High School and Middle School with a shuttle service available for a small fee.
Whether you’ve never attended or never missed a festival, bring your lawn chair and plan to make yourself at home in Cave City for the 36 annual Cave City Watermelon Festival.
For more information about the entertainment and/or additional activities and events that may be added to the festival schedule please call 870-283-5301, visit www.cavecityarkansas.info, or like the “Cave City Watermelon Festival” page on Facebook.
