Florida Watermelon Festivals in 2024:  Find a Watermelon Festival Near You!

Looking for a Watermelon festival in Florida in 2024? (just scroll down the page)There is no other listing as complete and current as this list, just updated! All the Watermelon festivals in Florida we can find are listed on this page! If you love strawberries, look for a festival near you below! And I'm always looking for more Watermelon festivals! Please write me, if you know of any to add!  I update the dates as soon as the festivals publish their information, but you can always click on the links (usually the name of the festival) to see the current information on the festival's own website. 

Always click on the links to the festival to confirm this year's dates; weather and other conditions could cause a change at the last minute. They may change or cancel at the last minute. . If they don't have a website, call the phone number provided, but ALWAYS CONFIRM THIS YEAR'S DATES AND TIMES BY EITHER VIEWING THEIR WEBSITE OR CALLING.

Click here for the form to add a festival and have detailed information; or click here if you have general information and are not connected with the event!

Florida 2024Watermelon Festivals Festivals - Where, When and More Details!

Florida

Watermelons typically ripen from June (in northern Florida and Texas) through July, August  and September in the mid-Atlantic, Midwest and New England. July and August dominatesas the months for Watermelon production (and festivals) Unlike strawberries, which grow almost anywhere, watermelons are grown commercially far fewer states, since they require warmer temperatures and a much longer season.

There are two general types of Watermelon festivals 1) community festivals, usually organized by a church, school, local Chamber of commerce or a town and 2). Watermelon festival held at and by a farm. They are different in what they offer, and community festivals tend to be less expensive so they are grouped separately. (of course not all states and areas have both.)
Following the festival listings are links to our easy to follow directions about making Watermelon jam, freezing watermelons, Watermelon pies and much more.

Community Watermelon Festivals

• Chiefland Watermelon Festival - the first Saturday in June, every year
  Chiefland, FL. City Park, Tommy Usher Center. The Parade runs from high school to CR 345. Watermelons, parade, music, crafts, Watermelon Queen Contest. Call (352) 493-2330. Alternate phone: (352) 493-1849 for more information. A one-day festival includes arts and crafts exhibitors, and children's activities, such as the Greased Pole and the Seed Spitting contests. Free cold watermelon, donated by local growers, is served by Civitan members and other volunteers throughout the day. The festival parade is made up of floats with a watermelon theme, high schools bands, fire engines, and cars chauffeuring contestants of the Watermelon Festival Queen contest. Local growers enter their biggest and best melons in the watermelon weighing contest, conducted in three categories. Following the awards ceremony, the delicious entries are auctioned off. Their proceeds help pay for festival expenses. Children's activities are a special part of the festival. The Little King and Queen Contest, organized by the Chiefland Woman's Club, is for youngsters between three and five years old. Each year, 20 to 30 pre-school children dress up and parade in front of an auditorium full of proud relatives and friends. The festival is sponsored by Chiefland Activities Incorporated, which consists of the Civitans and the Chiefland Woman's Club.
• Clay County Annual Watermelon Fest - Annually, a weekend in late June;  June 26, 2021 and June 27, 2021, Saturday & Sunday 10am to 5pm.
  Clay County Fairgrounds, 2497 SR 16 W, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043. Phone: 386-86-0092. Email: bucklershows@yahoo.com. Directions: Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover .Family Fun & Festivities Inside & Out, Ice Cold Watermelon, Free Water Slide, Art & Crafts, Vendors, Grilled Watermelon, Free Bounce Houses, Live Entertainment, Wacky Watermelon Games, Delicious Food, Watermelon Eating Contest, Pony Rides, Free Watermelon Samples, Yummy Treats, Watermelon Wine Slush Mixes, Free Corn Hole, Cutest Baby Contest, Free Petting Farm, Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest, Face Painting, Free Rock Painting, Watermelon Fudge, Karaoke, Train Rides, Free Coloring Contest, Free Inside Toddler Play Area, Watermelon Bingo, Watermelon Smoothies, Free Sack Races, Photo Op, Whole Watermelons & Much More! Adults $7, Kids 3-12 $6, Kids 2 & Under Free. $1 OFF ADMISSION! Visit our website for coupon or bring a canned good for discount. Benefits the local food bank.Click here for a link to our Facebook page.  Crafts and crafters sales and exhibitions, Sales of the featured fruit (or vegetable), Baked items for sale, Deserts for sale (like strawberry shortcake, blueberry pie, etc.) , Food vendors, Live music, Games, Pets are NOT allowed, Free parking, Bouncy castle or moon bounce, pony rides, petting zoo, farm animals, restrooms (ADDED: May 01, 2018, Suggested by a visitor)
• Jefferson County Monticello Annual Watermelon Festival - Held the third weekend of June,
  Monticello, FL. Phone: (850)-997-5552. Email: info@monticellojeffersonfl.com. This festival has enjoyed 65 plus years of watermelon, music, children's theater, pageants, Street Dance, arts and crafts vendors, food, a 5K run, car show, art show ghost tours seed spitting contest, watermelon carving contest, softball tournament, Beer Garden, parade and much, much more. The Watermelon Festival continues as a time-honored tradition that says it's summertime. See the below schedule for details on how you can participate, volunteer, enjoy, or become a vendor! This is your one-stop spot for the 66th Annual Watermelon Festival.
  June 4, Watermelon Pageants
  June 10, Kickoff Dinner, Bed Race, and Rodeo
  June 11, Rodeo
  June 16, Woman's Club Fashion Show
  June 17, Rotary Barbecue, Street Dance & Children's Theatre
  June 18, FMB Breakfast, Antique Car Show, Children's Theatre, Parade & Festival.
  (ADDED: April 28, 2016, JBS)
• Newberry Watermelon Festival - May from 9 AM to 4:30 PM.
  Destiny Community Church, SW 202nd Street, Newberry, Florida 32669. Email: newberrywatermelonfestival@gmail.com. The 71st Newberry Watermelon Festival will be held at Destiny Community Church's future location. Each year the Newberry Watermelon Festival committee works hard to improve the festival and its activities. The watermelons are always provided from a local grower and given to the festival goers for FREE. We have beauty pageants for ages 0-22 years. Our pageants are held at the Newberry Oak View Middle School Auditorium starting on Friday for girls ages 5-16 years old and on Saturday for the boys and girls ages 0-4 years old. Our Queen's pageant for young ladies ages 17-22 years old are held on Friday with the Queen being crowned on Saturday. Our 2008 Master of Ceremonies for the pageants was 93.7FM K-Country's very own Midday DJ, Mr. Lewis Stokes. Lewis has graciously volunteered his time and talents to our festival pageants for several years now. Some of the favorite festival activities started many years ago and still continue today. These activities include contests for watermelon eating, seed spitting, hog calling, pie/cake baking, and of course the "Big Melon." (ADDED: April 28, 2016, JBS)
• Panhandle Watermelon Festival- Chipley, Florida - Held the last Saturday in June, from 10 am to 4 pm.
  Chipley, FL. Phone: (850) 638-6180. Email: washington@ifas.ufl.edu. Big Parade at 10 Am from Old High School through downtown. Held in the quaint Florida panhandle town of Chipley, at the Agricultural Center on Jackson Avenue, Highway 90. Events include: a Big Watermelon Contest, comedy shows and other surprise guests, a 5000 Meter Run, a Car & Truck Show, Contests for Kids, Tournament Horseshoe Pitching, Square dancing and Singers. There is also nightly entertainment at the Northwest Florida Campground, in Chipley games and plenty of entertainment for the kids. For More Information Contact : Washington County Ag. Center 
• Starke Watermelon Fun Fest - June 26 and 27, 2021
  Bradford County Fairgrounds, 2300 N. Temple Ave, Starke, Fl 32091. Phone: 386-860-0092. Email:  bucklershows@yahoo.com.

Farm Watermelon Festivals

In addition to community and church festivals, some private farms have their own Watermelon festivals.  See each farm for this year's dates (they often do not announce them until the end of May). They usually have PYO strawberries then, too.  Also, scroll down to see the links to recipes, freezing, canning and jam making directions at the bottom of the page.

• We will be adding these as we find them;  Please write me, if you know of any to add!

Related Watermelon Information: Watermelon jelly and Pickled watermelon rinds

Besides eating them fresh, watermelons make two great preserves which are really easy to make with these illustrated, step-by-step instructions:

• Pickled watermelon rinds are sweet and delicious!. See this page for the easy recipe).
• Easy watermelon jelly recipe.

 

For other fruit and vegetable festivals, see this page!