From July 29-31, hundreds of people will flock to Cave City to attend the festival for the first time in. The preparation is always crazy, especially this time of year, just on a good year, Johnson said. Woods Riverbend Restaurant If you love waterfront dining you are in for a treat at Woods. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000. Phillip said the most labor intensive and important part of the production comes while preparing the soil. . Haley Adams enjoys a big slice of watermelon at the 2007 Cave City Watermelon Festival. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri. YP, the YP logo and all other YP marks contained herein are trademarks of YP LLC and/or YP affiliated companies. In the beginning, they took trips to sell melons. So bring your family and lawn chairs and celebrate the labor and goodness of one of the greatest contributors to the Sharp County economy. To contact our registered growers,. 9:00am - 4:00pm: Cave City Cruziers Car Show - Cave City Park Registration from 9 - 12; Judging at Noon; Awards at 4:00 pm 10:00am: Watermelon Parade 11:30am: Welcome to the Festival! Mr. Carpenter retrieved many of the Indian relics from the cave and built a museum of sorts which housed these relics on the walkway into the entrance of the cave. (800) 458-4756 Read more. Be sure to fill out all the fields in order to have yours selected. All rights reserved. The Watermelon Growers Games begin at 3 p.m. with a free watermelon feast at 4 p.m. That is when we really went to studying how to do things a different way, Gary said. Phillip laughed recalling a story his mother told, They got married on March 30 and were in the watermelon fields on April 1. Their parents harvested melons until 1976 when Lester became ill. At the peak of watermelon production during the 1960s, the growers association that was established in 1938 had 127 members with over 1000 acres of melons planted. We dug holes, put water to make a sluice in the ground and then put the plant in. When Sharp County was formed in 1868, what is now Cave City was still in Independence County, including north of present-day Cave City to almost the Maxville area. Our goal is to pick them at the perfect stage before they go into the over ripe stage. Brothers Jonathan and Justin Hunter are the newest and youngest registered Cave City Watermelon Growers. As one of Chicagos largest summer attractions since its founding in 1980, The Taste consistently draws over 1 million people, though at its peak it has drawn nearly 4 million, all of them there to sample food from a variety of restaurants from across the city. After the harvest, pulling of the plastic and planting grass on the fields carries their work into October or November. Travelers will also find antique stores and flea markets. The town celebration of the Fourth of July continued for many years, but fell out of favor in the last few decades. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. In those days, an average grower planted about 30 acres. Most dont realize just how far back the watermelon tradition goes, even predating the 1938 establishment of a growers association and the 1980 creation of the Cave City Watermelon Festival, first as a one day event. While watermelons are still at the center of our celebration, we also celebrate the people and businesses that make the Cave City area one of the greatest places in Arkansas! Johnson suggests you could always make the trip to Sharp County to visit one of the grower's own stands as well. Blueberry Fields Forever Judsonia, AR, 72081. The first school was taught in Cave City in 1891 and was located at the site of the present Hometown Market. Woodies Main Street Cafe This classic American restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner Wednesday through Saturday. More than 9 million gallons of water flow from it each hour filling a 10-acre lake and flowing into the Spring River. Patterson Brothers Farms 501-412-3819.Patterson's stand is located in Cave City, across from Double B's. The continual hot weather has now put them about one week ahead of schedule in opening the stands. Drew serves on the Arkansas Travel Council Board of Directors, is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs current publicity chair. It is about an event, about happiness. This involves discing, cultivating, fertilizing and planting that typically begins in April. Everything about this festival is a sheer delight, from the pickle juice drinking contest to the Lil Gherkins kids play zone. J.W. She helped open a visitor center for the Ozark Gateway, allowing visitors to pick up information from the entire state 24/7. Please contact businesses directly for the most recent hours before planning a destination. Cin-sations Flea Market This hidden treasure isnt found on social media, but you will find loads of treasures inside this quaint antique/junk shop! Please try viewing this website in Edge, Mozilla, Chrome, or another modern browser. The remaining one foot section could only be done with manual labor. Our watermelon growers work hard all year long to produce "The World's Sweetest" watermelons! Around 1980, a group of city leaders actually trademarked the name "Cave City Watermelons" so that anyone who uses that registered trademark to make money off of a different product is actually breaking the law. The park is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Cave City watermelons are so unparalleled that there is a list of registered growers who put stickers on their products so buyers know their watermelons are official Cave City Watermelons. These include learning optimal plant and row spacing and the biggest innovation since the beginning utilizing irrigation techniques. Johnson Brothers was established in 1976. GREEN RIVER, UTAH - The tiny town of Green River (population 929) may not be big, but it is home to the "World's Largest Watermelon." The icy water makes for excellent trout fishing and a beautiful floating opportunity. Voters again reject proposed Highland School millage increase, Cave City athlete sets school and state indoor track record, Nashville Songwriter with local roots inks new songwriting contract, Arkansas States new Digital Technology and Design Program offers new emphasis areas, West Plains resident reflects on life-saving heart care received at Ozarks Healthcare. We have confidence in our picking. They talked about their deep history of farming melons, the challenges, triumphs and even some humorous tales. This is unfair to the growers who, like the Johnsons, put hundreds of hours of work into their harvest, not to mention tens of thousands of dollars they have invested in the crops. The prize melon will be auctioned off to benefit St. Judes. There is no doubt the area has realized the huge growth of the Cave City Watermelon Festival in the last few years. Over at Perkey & Woolridge, theyre experiencing the same busyness. "Watermelons should be about fun. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training. The Taste of Chicago has a pretty exhaustive Wikipedia page, which is a pretty good indication that the event is practically built into the citys DNA. This will mark the festival's 30th year. At 5 p.m., the Prize Melon Auction to benefit Arkansas Children's Hospital will kick off . "Grew better than I've probably ever seen watermelons grow.". Cave City watermelons are arguably the best watermelons in the world. Johnson said that's a great thing because residents are always patiently waiting for that first watermelon of the season. Dear Crossing If there is a Hot Wheels or Matchbox lover in your crew this shop is a must-see! The harvest is the easiest part, according to the brothers. From July 27-29 i n Cave City, Arkansas, you'll find a feast of watermelon courtesy of local growers; the website also notes that "Catfish dinners, pancake breakfasts, talent shows, watermelon judging contests, 5K runs, ice cream making contests, car shows and local entertainment have filled the event calendar" in previous years. Perhaps Oscar Wilde said it best Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. The round Genuine Cave City Watermelon sticker, designating the brand is sometimes counterfeited. Digital Marketing and Design - The Richland Group. Live musicians such as Luke Stroud, the Farris Family Quartet, Legacy Five, Shane Thornton, and others will perform Thursday and Friday. (KAIT) -Watermelons are almost ripe for picking for the annual Cave City Watermelon Festival. Watermelon Festival - The 2022 Cave City Watermelon Festival is sure to delight. Mammoth Spring National Fish Hatchery One of the nations oldest fish hatcheries established in 1903, it was built to take advantage of the natural spring and proximity to the railroad. The couple laughed at the recollection of the memory. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry. Source: http://www.kait8.com/story/38582549/cave-city-watermelon-growers-warn-against-knockoffs Share One of the most favorite and anticipated of these camp meetings was the holiness camp meeting held every year at Calamine by ministers of the Nazarene Church. So many interesting treasures are held within these walls. Only genuine Cave City Watermelons have the registered trademark sticker. Annual student art exhibition is Feb. 27-March 17 at Lyon College Kresge Gallery, reception is March 2, Works of Lyon College Professor of Art Dustyn Bork featured in two Batesville exhibitions, Jacksonport State Park to host dinner, mock trial based on historic events Trial based on actual 1885 events and trial, Bubble, Bubble, Toil & Trouble: A Soapmaking Workshop Saturday, February 25, 2023, 9:00am . CAVE CITY, AR (KAIT) - It doesn't quite feel like summertime in Sharp County until the Cave City watermelons hit the stands and that happened this past week. From July 13-16, pitmasters will provide various styles of mouthwatering barbecue to be enjoyed alongside performances by big names in country music (Zac Brown Band and Darius Rucker among them). Historic Places There are seven properties on the National Register of Historic Places located in Evening Shade. This year County Music Legend Tracy Byrd will be headlining the Free festival on Saturday Night. That leaves us with a whole day to explore, and the roads out of Cave City lead to interesting locations. Watermelon is synonymous with Cave City, and while folks in my neck of the woods go bonkers when a pickup truck with a bed-full of [], Your email address will not be published. Cave City Watermelon Festival. From planting in the greenhouse to harvest usually takes about 90 days, depending on rainfall amounts and the variety of melon. There is also a thriving art and music scene. 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