CRISP COUNTY, Ga. — Folks in Crisp County headed out to Georgia Veterans State Park on Saturday for a celebration that was one in a 'melon'.
The 74th annual Watermelon Days Festival started with a parade at 9 a.m., and led to a day of fun filled activities.
There were several places to fill up on freshly cut watermelon, as well as vendors selling arts and crafts.
They also had several contests planned, including a watermelon chunking contest, a seed spitting contest, a watermelon giveaway, and a watermelon eating contest!
There was also live entertainment into the evening and live animal exhibits for the kids.
The Crisp County festival is the 'oldest festival in Georgia,' according to their organizers.
It is held to honor the farmer, growers, brokers, and buyers of the watermelon industry, specifically in Crisp County.
The crop is a big economic engine for the area, and over 200 million pounds of melons are shipped from their community a year.
Organizers say Crisp County's title of "Watermelon Capital of the World" was challenged in the early '90s by Hope, Arkansas, and Hempstead, Texas.
They say that the "competition was tough, but Cordele-Crisp County proved that we truly have the best melons anywhere in the world and proudly retained our title. Our melons were deemed as the crispest, juiciest, and sweetest. This is due to the hot, dry nights and the type of soil in Crisp County."
The festival and all its activities lasted all day on Saturday.