Naples celebrates its 81st Watermelon Festival

The 81st Naples Watermelon Festival takes place today and Saturday.
The 81st Naples Watermelon Festival takes place today and Saturday.

NAPLES, Texas-All things watermelon will be celebrated Friday, July 26, and Saturday at the 81st Naples Watermelon Festival.

With the Melon Patch grounds as the main location, this year's festival features activities that serve as quintessential, small-town festival fun: a Saturday morning parade, antique car show, horseshoes, corn hole, a largest watermelon contest, free ice-cold watermelon slices, arts and crafts booths, food vendors, a Saturday night dance and more.

VirGinia Fleming serves as the public relations person for the festival. She's worked the watermelons here for four decades.

"We have 65 arts and crafts vendors confirmed and 12 food vendors," Fleming said. "And the first thing will be our antique car show. Then we're going to have bingo, and that's going to be at the Daingerfield Street community center. Other things will be at the Melon Patch."

Items like jewelry and handmade crafts will be sold by arts and crafts vendors. "We really strive to have a good variety, not too many of the same thing," Fleming said. It's the same for food. Expect to enjoy time-honored festival delicacies like barbecue and Mexican fare.

"Of course we're going to have corny dogs, which that's the standard," Fleming said, noting Wine-A-Ritas will be served at the Windell Cobb Melon Shed, which is air conditioned for these summer days.

"If you drink enough of those it will be cool," Fleming said. They're her No. 1 recommendation. As for the reason for the celebration, refreshing watermelons will be plentiful Saturday.

"We have 500-plus ice-cold watermelons that we are giving away free. We have always given free watermelons. We buy this from a gentleman in Cass County that has real good sandy loam," Fleming said.

They'll slice watermelons starting at 2 p.m. Saturday and go until they run out. If they don't run out, they'll slice until 5 p.m. Watermelons are cut into four pieces per melon, which makes for 2,000 pieces, Fleming said.

"That's a lot of seed," she said.

On Saturday, the parade kicks off at 10 a.m., while a street dance runs from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. The musical entertainment features country act Cole Scoggins Band performing at the VirGinia Fleming Pavilion.

Festival hours are fairly informal. "You come when you want to and leave when you want to," Fleming said. Vendors begin setting up Friday morning. About the parade, Fleming said, "It starts at the rodeo grounds and ventures through downtown Naples."

The Naples Rodeo starts at 8 p.m. both nights. Admission is $8 at the gate or free for children 6 and under. Sanctioned events include saddle bronc riding, bull riding, breakaway roping, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing, team roping and ranch bronc riding.

The Naples Watermelon Festival tradition extends back to pre-World War II days. Wagons loaded with watermelons came to the Naples railroad back then, said Fleming.

"This was originally a farming community, and when we started it the first year we had it was in 1939. We had the Early Bird Band from WFAA in Dallas play for the dance at the Naples High School Gym. All the queens were attired in evening attire, and this was in 1939," Fleming said.

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