Enjoy ice-cold watermelons at Hope Watermelon Festival!

The state’s largest watermelons are celebrated each August at the Hope Watermelon Festival in Hope. The event usually includes ice-cold watermelons sold by the slice, watermelon weigh-ins, and watermelon eating and seed spitting contests.

The festival itself dates back to the mid-1920s when the city staged a one-day annual festival. During these, locals served watermelon to passengers on the many trains that stopped in this small town.

Hope also once held title to the largest watermelon in the world when Arkansas native Lloyd Bright’s 268.8 pound melon (grown on a farm east of town) made the Guinness Book of World Records.

Along with eating watermelons, there are other festival activities such as arts and crafts, food, a 5K race, and a closing night concert. The festival is held at Fair Park at 800 South Mockingbird. For more details call 870-777-3640 or visit hopemelonfest.com.