The Watermelon Carnival is Water Valley's most prized annual celebration. An estimated 20,000 people attend the various events, always set the first weekend in August. The carnival is named among the top 20 fesivals in the southeastern United States by the Southeastern Tourism Society.
The first carnival was held on Thursday, August 27, 1931. At that time, the entire nation was in the grip of the depression. In Water Valley, a bank had failed, the railroad had pulled out, and unemployment was high. Local businessmen were concerned about the spirit of the townspeople, so they decided to host a carnival to boost morale.
The Watermelon Carnival consisted of a parade, a pageant to name the carnival queen, and a formal ball. Festivities were repeated for nine consecutive years, and then halted with the outbreak of World War II. The Watermelon Carnival lay in dormancy until 1980.
Today the Watermelon Carnival is a full-fledged weekend celebration. For many people, it's a time for coming home to be with family and to enjoy reunions with school classmates. Each year events kick off Thursday evening with a music festival at the Civic Auditorium. Then on Friday, a Street Dance draws crowds to City Park. All day Saturday, continuous entertainment, food vendors, arts and crafts booths, contests, parades, an antique car show, and a 3k run are set up in the park and at various downtown locations along Main Street.
Watermelon Carnival 2011 T-Shirts & Ornament
Shirts and Ornaments $15 each @ Chamber Office
Adult sizes S - 3XL
Adult sizes S - 3XL
Youth sizes YS - YL
Youth sizes also offered in gray YXS - YL
FRONT BACK
Watermelon Carnival 2011
Dr. Rayford Edgar presents the flag during the patriotic opening of the Watermelon Music Fest held Thursday night at the Auditorium. It was sponsored by the Town and Country Garden Club.
Winners in Mechanics Bank 24th Annual Watermelon Run include (from left) Sarah Russo, third place; Amanda Lane, second place and Heather Beegle, first place. Men’s winners include Ron Beegle, third place; Randy Burt, second place; and Pip Gordon, first place.
Winners in the walk division of the annual run/walk are (from left) Brian Wilson, first place; Larry Sprouse, second place; Randy Horton, third place; Brandy Vollbracht, fourth place; Jennifer Jones, fifth place; and Loretta Reece, sixth place.
Watermelon Queen Brittany Arendale and her court were presented Thursday night.
Some of our vendors
Robbie Ferguson of Oxford Printwear
Make your own stuffed animal!!!!
Handmade Arts &Crafts
Contests
Pickup Porkers BBQ Contest
In the biggest watermelon contest (right photo) Cody Bost (left) took top honors at this year’s Largest Melon Contest. Cody is the son of long-time competitor Marty Bost and his first place melon weighed 148.28 pounds. Graydon Hooker (center) won second place with a 121.66 pound melon. Kizer Yount (right) took third with a 116.16 pound melon. His melon was grown in Yalobusha County with the help of his grandfather, Bailey Walker. Jerry Vaughn had the largest melon at the contest, but could not enter the 165.55 giant because a coon had damaged it.
