Hot summers call for cool watermelon! For over half a century the town of Monticello, just east of Tallahassee in northern Florida, has put on an annual celebration of this ultra-refreshing summer fruit. Jefferson County has been a major supplier of fruit and seeds to the rest of the country since the late 1800s. This year’s 65th annual festival began last Saturday (6/6/15) with all the pageants and will continue through Saturday the 20th of June.

Watermelons, Jefferson County Watermelon Festival, Monticello, FLThere will be a Woman’s Club Fashion Show & Luncheon on Thursday the 18th at noon, and on Friday the 19th you can enjoy the Rotary Barbeque Dinner at the Opera House starting at 5 p.m. Saturday morning the 20th will see the FMB Breakfast, beginning 7 a.m. in the FMB parking lot.

Runners stretching before the Melon Run

Runners stretching before the Melon Run

Other activities on the schedule include a watermelon carving contest, the big seed spitting contest, a bed race, children’s theater, ghost tours, a softball tournament, arts & crafts shows, a car show, a street dance, a Melon Run, the annual parade on Saturday the 20th at 10 a.m., and live entertainment. For more information see the festival website.