The 26th Annual What-A-Melon Festival is coming to downtown Center on July 9th, 10th, and 11th. The three day event will feature carnival rides, vendor booths, a pet show, a pageant, 5K What-A-Melon Crawl, live entertainment, and lots of great fun!

A full slate of activities are planned for this year’s event. The festival starts Thursday, July 9th with gates opening at 5pm. Enjoy carnival rides, a variety of vendors, and live music under the big tent. Thursday night's entertainment includes a line up of great gospel music!

The fun continues Friday with rides starting at 3pm. A crowd favorite, the What-A-Melon Pet Show, will be held Friday, July 10th under the big tent followed by more live entertainment. Registration for the pet show starts at 5:30pm with the show at 6pm. Bring your favorite pet to the stage in their cutest watermelon attire. No farm animals, pets only.

Come downtown early Saturday, July 11th with the 4th Annual 5K What-A-Melon Crawl starting at 7am. Each year proceeds from the 5K benefit a local group or organization and this year proceeds will benefit Shelby County Outreach Ministries. The 5K has helped in the past the Shelby County Children's
Advocacy Center, the Center Softball Association, and Shelby County
Scouting.

You won’t want to miss the festival's Watermelon Seed Spitting and Speed Eating contests which are held Saturday, July 11th under the big tent at 4pm. Don't leave after the seed spitting and speed eating because the 'biggest' event of the festival starts at 5pm when weighing in of Shelby County's biggest watermelons begins. Find out who wins the honor of growing Shelby County's Largest Watermelon and big money!

The cutest watermelon attire will take the stage at 6pm Saturday during the Annual What-A-Melon Pageant! Girls 0-15 years and boys 0-5 years compete in their favorite watermelon or summer attire. Following the pageant, live entertainment once again takes the stage.

A full slate of activities are planned for this year’s event and you won’t want to miss it. What-A-Melon Festival entry buttons will be available at the festival entry gates on Thursday evening. Buttons are $4 and are good for entry to the festival for all three days. Children five and under get in free.

Craft and merchandise vendor spaces are still available. Email whatamelonfestival@gmail.com for more information or to request a vendor
application.

The What-A-Melon Festival is sponsored by the Center Rotary Club.