The team behind McDade’s 76th annual Watermelon Festival invites the public to have a seed-sational time July 12-13 with a street dance, a barbecue cook-off, and a range of melon-themed activities.
The two-day event kicks off July 12 from 8 p.m.-midnight downtown on Bastrop Street with the street dance, along with food and drink vendors, and live music by Jimmy Rhodes & The Bandits. Admission to the street dance is $10 for attendees age 5 and older.
On July 13, the free, family- and dog-friendly festival begins with watermelon-themed activities, including watermelon-eating contests, seed-spitting contests, watermelon costume contests, a prized melon auction, a parade and more.
The all-day festival starts at 6:30 a.m. with the Sweatin’ Melons 5K packet pickup and ends at 5:30 p.m., when festivalgoers can partake in a free watermelon feast.