It’s Watermelon Festival time!

Camel up, dudes. It’s Watermelon Festival time! What happens when you drink too much watermelon wine?  You start to see camels. No kidding.

But at this year’s 53rd annual Watermelon Festival, you won’t need any watermelon wine to see camels. There really will be camels. Real camels. A new event in the “children’s activities” will include a first time appearance by “America’s Show Camels.” Rides will be averaging between $5-$10. There will be two camels. No kidding.

The festival will be Friday, July 29th and Saturday, July 30.

The Louisiana Watermelon Festival is held in Farmerville, Louisiana annually the last weekend in July. 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.

Make sure you pick up one of the cool blue or red Watermelon Festival t-shirts. They’ll be on sale as usual, but this year you can use a credit card. That will come in handy for you if you are like me and have already spent all your money on funnel cakes…

I just hope camels don’t eat watermelons (or funnel cakes!!!!).