Water Valley Watermelon Festival celebrates landmark year

WATER VALLEY, Miss. (WCBI) – The banner over Main Street told it all.

This is a landmark year for the annual Watermelon Carnival in Water Valley, and this year the crowds were huge.

There were plenty of activities for the children, including bungee jumping, and magician Dorian LaChance entertained a pool to cool down in, and young and old alike.

Tyler Hill is co-chair of the event.

“Water Valley used to be a big hub when we had the railroad of shipping out watermelons and produce from here. Of course, the railroad is gone, so it’s not as big as it used to be, but we still have big-time growers around. And the farmers do a great job of knowing how to plant and knowing how to grow and harvest their melons and the guys that do the big melons they do a lot of different sampling and different things to try to make them grow even bigger and better.” said Hill.

One of the highlights of this year’s Watermelon Carnival was the appearance of the defending State 3-A champion Water Valley Blue Devils.

Coach Brad Embrey said it is a great community event.

“The community supports us year-round with football and with the school, and it’s our chance to give back to part of the Watermelon Carnival, and I think it was a great thing that community got the queens for years past together, and the football team was able to escort them to the town, just a good time, you know football starts Monday and everyone is excited and this kind of coincides with the start of football every year, so it’s a big deal in Water Valley,” said Hill.

And this year’s Watermelon Queen was Ole Miss sophomore Carley Washington, who grew up celebrating every year in her home town.

“Friday night is so fun with the street dance and fireworks. And then Saturday with everybody out just enjoying my town, I love it. And my parents actually give out free watermelon at one at 1:00 and that is my favorite event because I just get to see everybody and it’s like my thing you know, every year I get to be out there,” said Washington.

Washington said Water Valley is truly about family.

“The family atmosphere. You walk downtown, and people ask you how you’ve been and how your momma and them are, and it’s just everybody is close-knit you never meet a stranger in Water Valley,” said Washington.

The town is very welcoming to newcomers.

Robert Jones got out of the Marines and purchased a farm here a year and a half ago.

“We really didn’t anything about farming, and we’re just kind of learning as we go I will say that. We’re just taking it one step at a time, and we’re first-generation farmers, so it’s definitely a big learning curve, but we’re rocking and rolling,” said Jones.

The rest of the Water Valley watermelon community is going to have to keep up with the Joneses.