forty first annual ‘Winterville Watermelon Festival’ brings parade, concert events, and household reunions

WINTERVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – The annual Winterville Watermelon Festival returned this weekend, drawing crowds with a lineup of rides, reside music and group occasions regardless of a wet begin to Saturday.

The festivities kicked off Saturday morning with the sounds of the Veterans’ Appreciation Parade. Following the parade, festival-goers stuffed the streets to browse cubicles from native distributors and compete within the extremely anticipated watermelon-eating contest.

For Alicia Warren, profitable the ladies’s watermelon-eating competitors got here with an additional hurdle.

“Well, I’m excited because I didn’t know that I would be able to win with these braces,” Warren mentioned. “My braces did give me a bit of a challenge. But I’m just here for the fun as well and to enjoy the festivities.”

The competition additionally served as a homecoming for some attendees touring from out of state. Kennie Davis, the 1996 Winterville Watermelon Queen, traveled together with her household all the best way from Texas for a 30-year return to her crowning grounds.

“You know, it’s my 30-year return here,” Davis mentioned. “I don’t know that anyone invited me, but yeah, it feels good.”

Davis famous that whereas the competition has grown, its core appeals stay the identical.

“Well, obviously the watermelon, we grew up on that, and it’s still good,” Davis mentioned. “And the girls just finished off a quarter of watermelon over here with the watermelon eating contest. So, I think the booths too. Just having all the small businesses out here, supporting them.”

The celebration continued into Saturday night with the Watermelon Jam live performance, which kicked off at 5 p.m.

The Winterville Watermelon Festival concludes Sunday. Attendees should buy wristbands for full entry to the rides, native distributors and scheduled magic performances.