Jul 29, 2022Cave City Watermelons, Hunter Bros Melons Hunter Brothers Watermelons- Jonathan and Justin Hunter Main Street in Cave City. 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! Roadside stands are found throughout the city. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused! Activities include a childrens fishing derby, 5K run, car show, pancake breakfast, parade, school alumni reunion, speed eating contest, seed spitting contest, free watermelon feast, prize melon auction, incredible food, kids wet zone, and live music. Celebrating the world's sweetest Watermelons since 1980! Johnson Brothers Watermelons | Cave City AR The building for that church was completed in 1898 and existed until the Methodist Church was united in 1939. The men and women who work all year long to make the festival the largest in the area with some of the best food, entertainment and fellowship. The first step of this epic watermelon road trip is to select a registered grower and make certain that they have melons available. The 41st Cave City Watermelon Festival is set for July 29-31th. This will mark the festival's 30th year. Cave City melons have "Genuine" stickers, too. It has grown exponentially each year since the new board took over. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Be sure to stop by on a Friday and order the catfish. Accepted file types: jpg, png, Max. Over the years, Drew has helped the organization meet new marketing goals, such as in- and out-of-state marketing, assuring that all 100,000 copies of their magazines are distributed each year. In addition to coffee, you can munch on breakfast and lunch selections as you head through town. Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. Stop in for lunch or dinner and you will know why. When they are picking, the selection goes fast, so we get there early. Drew serves on the Arkansas Travel Council Board of Directors, is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs current publicity chair. Thankfully, that changed once we finally shook winter and headed into May. Apparently the Laman brothers bought large tracts of land in the Cave City area, built their business and encouraged other merchants to relocate at that place. Among the growers, are one family who are in their third generation of production of the luscious fruit of summer. The first school was taught in Cave City in 1891 and was located at the site of the present Hometown Market. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late 60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit. 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. Crystal Bridges 2023 Exhibitions Unveiled, Visiting Poinsett, Cross and Mississippi Counties, Things To Do In Independence and Stone Counties, An Afternoon in Cave City - Only In Arkansas, An Afternoon in Cave City Only In Arkansas Only in Arkansas Ferry St. Over the years, various attempts have been made to explore the cave and to determine the origins of the Crystal River which flows under the town of Cave City. Over the years, the Johnsons have overcome any obstacle in their path. At 5 p.m., the Prize Melon Auction to benefit Arkansas Children's Hospital will kick off . CAVE CITY Cave City bills itself as having the "world's sweetest watermelons." Find out for yourself July 29-31 during the 41st annual Watermelon Festival, which offers three days packed In the early 1930, Hubert Carpenter purchased the cave properties. "Watermelons should be about fun. Read more about how Powhatan is Frozen in Time. Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). The harvest is the easiest part, according to the brothers. Johnson Brothers Watermelons is a family operated business consisting of Gary & Becky & Phillip &. Many of these families moved to that area from Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, etc., and settled along the creeks and waterways in the more temperate climates away from the mosquitoes and malaria of Eastern Arkansas. With a wagon and team, Worsh hauled his melons out of the field and placed them in Big Creek near present day North Ridge Road to cool. County Music Legion Tracy Byrd, will be headlining this years festival on Saturday Night. The town is home to a growing school district that includes the Cave City Charter High School. In those days, an average grower planted about 30 acres. Below is a list of the fun, unique food festivals and eating opportunities taking place in July 2023. While Johnson says weather pushed back the start of the season, she said that hasnt stopped people from selling out the stands. 1930's. Roadside stands are found throughout the city. They are open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday Saturday and are located just outside Cave City on AR-230. Only genuine Cave City Watermelons have our registered trademark sticker. (Photo from Old Independence Regional Museum, Batesville). Johnson says theyve seen more people at their stand and more people in the city in preparation for melon season and the festival. Cave Citys watermelons arent touted as the sweetest in the world for no reason. Held each year since 1980, Charles and Anita Landers spearheaded the one-of-a-kind event for decades. For the town that boasts the sweetest watermelon in the world, the weather is an important factor each season. This three-day event will be held July 28-30th and will include entertainment, fun vendors, yummy food trucks, a parade, activities for kids and adults, and of course, a free melon feast, which is courtesy of the watermelon growers in the area. The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. The memorial is being built near the city hall, under the big welcome sign. When you direct seed, you very seldom get a perfect stand. History lovers will enjoy driving past these historic homes. Record collectors dont miss a chance to browse their vintage selections! 71 were here. In 2017, the Cave City Watermelon Festival was inducted into the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame by the Department of Arkansas Heritage. Local businesses will hold special events throughout town as well. 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! Its part of The Takeouts 2023 Eats Calendar, a rundown of the years best events. by Cathy Drew | Jul 18, 2022 | Travel Tips, Cave City, Home of the Worlds Sweetest Watermelons. Marks Fly Shop Anglers that enjoy fly fishing will want to check out Marks fly shop for all the latest gear and custom tied flies. The three-day festival will take place on July 28-30. "Whenever people buy the watermelon, they need to make sure it has the registered trademark sticker, because if it doesn't, it's not the real . Watermelon growing is not a new thing in Cave City, however. The cave supplied the drinking water for the local school, as well as serving as a veritable town refrigerator. Many families stored their milk, butter, and other produce in the cool cave to prevent them from spoiling. SHARP COUNTY'S WIDEST CIRCULATED AND ONLY LOCALLY OWNED NEWSPAPER. Phillip Johnson and his brother have been farming watermelons over 40 years. "Grew better than I've probably ever seen watermelons grow.". Another point of interest was the cave which was located in the center of town, and from which the town received its name. The machine is equipped with a spike in the center that makes a hole in the plastic. Brokers would stop and negotiate deals to purchase loads to sell elsewhere. Before implementing irrigation, Phillip explained, We spent lots of quality time with that garden hoe. He admitted he was very picky about how it was done. In 2016, she assisted in creating the first Ozark Gateway Region Golf Classic. Cave City bills itself as having the worlds sweetest watermelons. Find out for yourself July 29-31 during the 41st annual Watermelon Festival, which offers three days packed full of fun and entertainment for the entire family.Activities include a children's fishing derby, 5K run, car show, pancake breakfast, parade, school alumni reunion, speed eating contest, seed . Now, in its 43rd year, the watermelon festival is the largest festival in the region and has been voted as one of Arkansas' best festivals. Live music begins at 5:45 p.m. with Anna Brinker, followed by Dixon Street and Tracy Byrd. Watermelons and other various produce such as. The town celebration of the Fourth of July continued for many years, but fell out of favor in the last few decades. Saturday kicks off with the Melon Dash 5K at 7 a.m. at the city park and a Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast at First Baptist Church. Their first attempt at utilizing the transplanting technique over seed planting was one of the many trial and error experiences from which the Johnsons have learned. The melon stand is on Main Street next to Dollar General. Required fields are marked *. . Search results are sorted by a combination of factors to give you a set of choices in response to your search criteria. Dear Crossing If there is a Hot Wheels or Matchbox lover in your crew this shop is a must-see! Daily Deals This salvage grocery and general merchandise store is one of a kind! 167 and 115. Gary and Phillips father, Lester, along with seven or eight of his siblings, learned early on how to properly produce a desirable melon. They are located 2 1/2 miles north of Cave City. 2 talking about this. Cave City's registered growers plan to keep the town's tradition alive, and start preparing for the 41st Watermelon festival. Woodies Main Street Cafe This classic American restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner Wednesday through Saturday. The Cave City Watermelon Festival gets underway Thursday. Each year as soon as they arrive with the first loads, their parking lot is flooded with customers before the melons can even be weighed and stickered. "They thrive really well in hot weather so the hot May was really good for growth," Johnson said. There were days when the brokers would buy them and we would load five or six trailer loads that would go out to Chicago and lots of other places. Gary explained. Only genuine Cave City Watermelons have our registered trademark sticker. It is located two and a half miles North of Cave City on Hwy. Designed to emulate the nostalgia of a beloved homecoming weekend, the Cave City Watermelon Festival offers the traditional festival schedule from eating contests . The fact is, growers begin working to bring the melons to the area months before with preparations long before the plants even go into the green-houses and eventually into the earth where they will grow. Gather around for events such as the biggest happy hour of the summer and enjoy an all-you-can-eat barbecue brunch on Sunday. The true melon afficianados will go for the Cave City melons every time and leave the Hope melons to the tourists. After the harvest, pulling of the plastic and planting grass on the fields carries their work into October or November. Gary recalled one incident where a broker offered his grandfather a few cents less per pound than he desired. Held in the Cherry Capital of the WorldTraverse City, Michigan, that isthe National Cherry Festival runs for the entire week of July 1-8, a testament to just how celebrated this stone fruit is among locals and tourists alike (We are thrilled to put cherries on the top of everyones mind, reads the official website). "Usually we start setting the first plants somewhere along about the middle of April and that's when we were getting some real cold weather, so we were delayed a little bit in getting the first plants set out," Johnson said. Mammoth Spring State Park The park is home to an old mill and hydroelectric plant, the old Frisco Train Depot and Museum, a park, walking trails and a gift shop. Be sure to fill out all the fields in order to have yours selected. We got 2000 plants from a hot greenhouse. Main Street looking South. Phillip spoke of his grandfathers stubborn nature, a trait that at least, in part, led to the success and longevity of his business being carried through to his son and grandsons. This line of the Laman family had settled on Curia Creek, about a mile south of present-day Cave City. Today not much remains but visitors will enjoy the two state parks located within the community. Brothers, Gary and Phillip are 3rd generation watermelon growers. The nearest post office, which had been located at Loyal, was physically moved to the new town of Cave City in 1892. 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. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late 60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit. One of the earliest references to a Fourth of July picnic at Cave City was in the Sharp County Recordnewspaper in June of 1899, planning a picnic for that year. Not necessarily "scare-your-pants-off" adventure but the kind where you seek out new and exciting things. To contact our registered growers, check: http://www.cavecitywatermelonfestival.com/about_us.php Courtesy www.cavecityarkansas.info: "These days, the reason for Cave City's renowned and its place on the map is due primarily to the annual Watermel See more 5,505 people like this 5,757 people follow this Were ready for everybody to come to Cave City.. Johnson Brothers' Watermelon Patch, 2018 (Photo by Chad Graves). From left, Tyler Parsley, Cederic Etheridge, Jonathan Fowler and Julie Johnson, members of the Cave City Watermelon Festival Committee, stand by some of the melons they will be celebrating July 27-29. You want the stem to be green with a white spot on the belly. Gary added, Some of the spots are also yellow to brown depending on the variety of melon., It hasnt always been easy.

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