Hope festival draws large crowd
HOPE, Ark.—Like last year, red pulp wrapped in hard green rind became the most consumable commodity during the third and final day of the 42nd annual Hope Watermelon Festival.
Perhaps as many as 6,500 to 7,000 watermelon connoisseurs descended on Hope from as far away as Michigan part-take in the sweet, watery, crimson cuisine.
As in years past, many of the festival’s watermelon fans collected under a large, open-air tent, situated near the city’s Fair
Park central area—a shady place where festivalgoers gathered to savor melon slices before orally ejecting the seeds into the tent’s sawdust carpeted flooring.
Beckie Moore, Hope Hempstead Chamber of Commerce director, said this year’s rain held off just enough to allow the storm system’s clouds to kick in a dash of cooler temperatures. She added that this reduced heat made festival activities more pleasant.
Fair Administrative Assistant Nicole McRaven said this year’s event drew 140 vendors—which included 25 food vendors and 115 arts and craft vendors—the most the fair has drawn to date.
Besides the traditional watermelon eating and seed spitting contests, this year’s gathering also featured a fishing derby, motorcycle show, antique and classic car show, a Taekwondo demonstration and even some pro wrestling which included both men and women, Moore said.
Also like last year, the event had a least 750 locally supplied watermelons donated for public consumption.
“This festival is the best way I know to celebrate and thank our magnificent and superb watermelon farming community,” Moore said. “We have about 20 watermelon farmers who donate their produce to make this occasion one of the best we have every year.”