The Monticello Watermelon Festival returns this weekend for its 75th year. Despite the forecasted showers, organizers say the annual celebration will continue rain or shine.
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Monticello Watermelon Festival celebrates 75 years with ‘Stars, Slices and Stripes’ theme
This year’s theme is “Stars, Slices, and Stripes,” honoring both America’s birthday and Jefferson County’s long-standing watermelon tradition.
After a BBQ dinner last week, the festival kicks off Friday afternoon with more than 200 food, arts, and craft vendors expected to fill the streets of downtown Monticello. Saturday features the festival’s signature watermelon parade, along with a car show, live entertainment, and family-friendly activities.
Amy McDaniel, the CEO of the Monticello Chamber of Commerce, says the event has weathered nearly every condition imaginable in its 75-year run.
“The watermelon festival has been going on forever, 75 years, and sometimes it’s been super hot, sometimes it’s been rainy, sometimes we’ve had tropical storms. And we’ve only canceled one time, so we are on rain or shine this weekend,” McDaniel said.
McDaniel said the festival has grown well beyond its local roots.
“The festival is so rich in tradition, and our local people always look forward to it. But then, also, it’s grown so much that we have over 10,000 people from all over the region come, and it’s just one of the staples of Monticello and it speaks volumes of our town. It’s all about family fun, traditions, and love of a small town,” she added.
Jefferson County’s watermelon industry dates back to the 1880s, and by the early 1900s, the county produced about 80-percent of the world’s watermelon seed.
Organizers say the event draws more than 10,000 people from across the region each year.
The 75th Annual Monticello Watermelon Festival runs Friday through Saturday in Downtown Monticello. You can find a full schedule of events here.
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