NAPLES, Texas - Watermelon magic hits Naples on Saturday with the 83rd rendition of a tasty, mid-summer tradition: the Watermelon Festival.
This year's festival is also the 20th anniversary of The Melon Patch, where the festival is located. The theme this year is "It's All About That Watermelon."
Earlier this week, Paul Pewitt High School football players and coaches helped load 500 watermelons into a refrigerated trailer for the festivities, according to a social media post about the festival.
Free, ice-cold watermelon is available in the afternoon from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Another cold treat is the hand-dipped ice cream provided by K's Kones.
On Saturday, vendors open at 8 a.m. with the largest watermelon contest. A horseshoes tournament starts an hour later as the parade lines up for a 10 a.m. start. The antique classic car show begins at 11 a.m., while co-ed cornhole and bingo (at the community center) both begin at 1 p.m.
Late morning also includes a recognition of Paul Pewitt athletics at the VirGinia Fleming Pavilion, which is named for the festival's longtime public relations official. The Watermelon King and Queen will be crowned at noon.
A Battle of the Pines arm wrestling competition is also slated for a 6 p.m. start with a $10-per-arm entry fee and a cash prize awarded to the victor.
To cap off the festival, a street dance runs from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. with a traditional country and western dance band, Mark Fields Band, providing the music.
The festival has its roots before World War II.
In a 2019 Gazette article, Fleming said, "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."