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By Bobbie Whitehead
MURFREESBORO, North Carolina – Opening day of the 25th annual North Carolina Watermelon Festival, hundreds of people gathered to take their children on rides, play games for prizes, eat Carolina-style barbecue and other types of food, dance and listen to music.
“One of the things we’re proud of is people can have fresh cuts of watermelon, all they can eat, all festival long,” said Frances Bunch, co-chair of the festival, which runs July 28-31.
MURFREESBORO, North Carolina – Opening day of the 25th annual North Carolina Watermelon Festival, hundreds of people gathered to take their children on rides, play games for prizes, eat Carolina-style barbecue and other types of food, dance and listen to music.
“One of the things we’re proud of is people can have fresh cuts of watermelon, all they can eat, all festival long,” said Frances Bunch, co-chair of the festival, which runs July 28-31.
Parents, left, take their children on festival rides. Watermelon slices, above, are free. Frances Bunch, bottom left, and Kay Thomas, far right, both festival co-chairs, chat with family and friends.
N.C. Watermelon Festival’s opening night draws crowd
And visitors can find plenty of watermelon available at the festival where a local grower has provided them for the event.
At a booth in the center of the festival, visitors crowded a table with slices of watermelon lined up and ready to quench their thirst, though the opening evening temperatures had cooled down some from earlier in the week.
“The crowd is good, and the people are excited to be out and see their friends,” said Kay Thomas, festival co-chair.
Early in the evening many couples participated in Shag dancing to live music. Shag, similar to the swing, involves dancing in a straight line with the focus on foot movements.
Over the years, Thomas and Bunch have found the festival serves to promote watermelons as well as attract newcomers and Murfreesboro natives who now live elsewhere.
“Year before last our theme was ‘A Sweet Tradition,’” Bunch said. “The ‘sweet’ was a play on the watermelon, and the tradition was a play on people making it a tradition to come home to Murfreesboro to visit friends and family for the festival.”
Last year, festival organizers used the theme “Where Hearts Meet” and enjoyed counting the number of couples who met at the festival and later married, Thomas said.
The festival continues through Saturday, July 31. For a schedule of events, visit http://www.murfreesboronc.org/watermelon.htm.
At a booth in the center of the festival, visitors crowded a table with slices of watermelon lined up and ready to quench their thirst, though the opening evening temperatures had cooled down some from earlier in the week.
“The crowd is good, and the people are excited to be out and see their friends,” said Kay Thomas, festival co-chair.
Early in the evening many couples participated in Shag dancing to live music. Shag, similar to the swing, involves dancing in a straight line with the focus on foot movements.
Over the years, Thomas and Bunch have found the festival serves to promote watermelons as well as attract newcomers and Murfreesboro natives who now live elsewhere.
“Year before last our theme was ‘A Sweet Tradition,’” Bunch said. “The ‘sweet’ was a play on the watermelon, and the tradition was a play on people making it a tradition to come home to Murfreesboro to visit friends and family for the festival.”
Last year, festival organizers used the theme “Where Hearts Meet” and enjoyed counting the number of couples who met at the festival and later married, Thomas said.
The festival continues through Saturday, July 31. For a schedule of events, visit http://www.murfreesboronc.org/watermelon.htm.
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