Note the stickers on the melons in the photo. He then began a story about Julies participation, one that was originally supposed to be off the record. It was so good that Julie agreed it would be a good one to tell regarding things that have led to changes they still use today. On her blog, Seek Adventures, Julie shares about the outdoor and travel adventures of her family as they camp and standup paddleboard across the South. Main Street looking South. They were placed nine feet apart then, today, they are only three feet apart. by Cathy Drew | Jul 18, 2022 | Travel Tips, Cave City, Home of the Worlds Sweetest Watermelons. For Food Vendor Inquiries call Andrea @ 870-283-5301 . Be sure to stop by on a Friday and order the catfish. Circle B Farm Farms 10 YEARS IN BUSINESS (870) 307-0302 403 Brewer Hill Rd Batesville, AR 72501 2. Phillip said before harvesting, they first thump, pat, roll and then finally cut them off the plant. Julie explained You want that melon to sound hollow. From July 27-29 i n Cave City, Arkansas, you'll find a feast of watermelon courtesy of local growers; the website also notes that "Catfish dinners, pancake breakfasts, talent shows, watermelon judging contests, 5K runs, ice cream making contests, car shows and local entertainment have filled the event calendar" in previous years. Regardless, its high summer, and Im ready for a sweet treat. New foods, new places, new experiences. This often makes others think all Cave City melons are priced as high as that of the resellers who are selling them out of town. Johnson suggests you could always make the trip to Sharp County to visit one of the grower's own stands as well. Tracy Byrd Here is the complete schedule, Check Cave City Watermelon Festival website for updates before travel Thursday - July 29 5:00 PM Its likely festival goers will hear him play Watermelon Crawl, a fitting song to help celebrate this Cave City festival. Johnson Brothers Watermelons. The Cave City Watermelon Festival Facebook page recently posted how to know if it's a genuine Cave City watermelon versus an imposter. The boys did as any good sons would and began to take on the responsibilities of the farm. Family LP Farms (870) 368-7495 Cave City also has multiple banks, medical offices and pharmacy, a grocery store, several convenience stores government offices and Cave City Nursing Home. http://www.kait8.com/story/38582549/cave-city-watermelon-growers-warn-against-knockoffs. They are open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday Saturday and are located just outside Cave City on AR-230. The Watermelon Parade is at 10 a.m. Live music begins at noon and features Deadwood Grove, followed by The Gravel Yard Bluegrass Band. Wilson Country Supply Wilsons is one of the coolest spots to visit when you are in the area. Mammoth Spring National Fish Hatchery One of the nations oldest fish hatcheries established in 1903, it was built to take advantage of the natural spring and proximity to the railroad. Renees Cafe This down-home country restaurant is where you will find the locals hanging out. Most recognize Gary and Phillip as the Watermelon Men, but in reality, Johnsons melon production began long before the two men were even a thought. To contact our registered growers, check:. Watermelons - Schedule your trip for mid-July through August and grab a watermelon or two from one of the registered growers. This three-day event will be held July 28-30th and will include entertainment, fun vendors, yummy food trucks, a parade, activities for kids and adults, and of course, a free melon feast, which is courtesy of the watermelon growers in the area. Ellis and Ernest Landers had the largest acreage planted in watermelons --- 45 acres. Also, be sure to grab a piece of carrot cake if its on the menu. Growers Cave City Watermelon Festival . They are located 2 1/2 miles north of Cave City. From planting in the greenhouse to harvest usually takes about 90 days, depending on rainfall amounts and the variety of melon. In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry. While watermelons are still at the center of our celebration, we also celebrate the people and businesses that make the Cave City area one of the greatest places in Arkansas! Abra Perkey - 870-307-2666 Rustin Wooldridge - 870-283-9914Stand is located at 1424 Hwy. "Sometimes they do and they have for as long as I can remember," he said. That's saying somethingsince Johnson and his brother were raised in the watermelon fields as their parents also grew them. The event starts Thursday, July 29 with live music. Apparently the Laman brothers bought large tracts of land in the Cave City area, built their business and encouraged other merchants to relocate at that place. As a kid, I raised watermelons with my grandpa, Billy Carter. The festival is Aug. 6-8, and Crystal said it is the biggest event in Sharp County. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused! Wooldridge says even though COVID canceled the festival last year, it didnt cancel watermelon season, working from sunrise until sundown picking and selling watermelons. Ozark Classic Craft Mall Like many small businesses, the last year has been difficult. The Johnson watermelon vine continued to spread, and Phillips parents, Lester and Verba Lee, eventually inherited the seed. 2 personas estn hablando de esto. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000. A cross-section of the Crookneck heirloom watermelon, an indigenous watermelon whose seeds were recovered from an abandoned cave in Arizona. Maybe you can show them how to tie a cherry stem with ones tongue? To contact our registered growers,. Panhandlewatermelon.com - , Xranks. The Johnson Brothers utilize a waterwheel transplanter for this part of the production. Roadside stands are found throughout the city. The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. The owner of Cave City Produce Company is not doing anything illegal. They would unload their melons so the brokers could pick them up without having to waste time going into the fields. As soon as the summer sun beams down on the South, families make their way to lakes and rivers to cool off. The International Festival and Events Association (IFEA) has named the Cave City Watermelon Festival (CCWF) a winner in the 2022 IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards. Growing watermelons has run in the family for several decades. The Watermelon Parade is at 10 a.m.Live music begins at noon and features Deadwood Grove, followed by The Gravel Yard Bluegrass Band. Many of the early pioneer family names echo through the area today: Jackson, Horn, Barnett, Brewer, Laman, Gray, Meacham, Wooldridge, Shanks, Rawlings, Green, Witten, Landers, Rodgers, Ball, Crow, Wilson, Fore, Lewis, Aldridge, Montgomery, Johnson, Gilbert, Vance, Vaughn, Stewart, Story, Stout, Matlock, Baxter, Bain, Jones, Chaudoin, Martin, Felts, Burge, Albright and Ford. Patterson Brothers Farms 501-412-3819.Patterson's stand is located in Cave City, across from Double B's. Besides producing quality melons, Julie said the trademark sticker for registered users that brands the melons has helped bring customers to their stand. The seeds are started in the greenhouse in March. The Cave City Watermelon Grower stickers with the growers name assure customers they are getting genuine Cave City melons. Blueberry Fields Forever Judsonia, AR, 72081. This changed the way the Johnsons produced their melons for the first time in history. Up until that point they had only planted seeds directly in the field. Weve gathered a list of some great stops along the way, so now its time for you to choose your own adventure. Live musicians such as Luke Stroud, the Farris Family Quartet, Legacy Five, Shane Thornton, and others will perform Thursday and Friday. They were beautiful hot plants. As soon as the summer sun beams down on the South, families make their way to lakes and rivers to cool off. Grower Brian Carter can trace that blood back to his great, great grandfather who hauled melons from Sandtown by wagon to sell in Batesville in the early 1900s. They were sold to brokers, simply by word of mouth, and transported across the nation. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Only in Arkansas. The memorial is being built near the city hall, under the big welcome sign. The preparation is always crazy, especially this time of year, just on a good year, Johnson said. Were ready for everybody to come to Cave City.. Far Out & Funky This fun antique store wears its name well! Cave City seems in the middle of nowhere. Source: http://www.kait8.com/story/38582549/cave-city-watermelon-growers-warn-against-knockoffs Share The rich, sandy soil that is exclusive to the area is what gives the melons such asweet flavor. This three-day event will include entertainment, a 5K run, pancake breakfast, parade, activities for kids and adults, and of course, a free melon feast, courtesy of the registered watermelon growers. That Spring, Lester taught his sons the ins and outs of watermelon production that he learned from his own father. Currently the Johnsons plant 15 acres each year with 1300 watermelon plants per acre. Johnson Brothers Watermelons is a family operated business consisting of Gary & Becky & Phillip & Julie. Cave City watermelons are arguably the best watermelons in the world. "Whenever people buy the watermelon, they need to make sure it has the registered trademark sticker, because if it doesn't, it's not the real . But, in reality, it was a pivotal moment when, for the sake of their marriage, they were forced to realize they had to find a better way to cultivate near the plants. Cave City bills itself as having the worlds sweetest watermelons. Find out for yourself July 29-31 during the 41st annual Watermelon Festival, which offers three days packed full of fun and entertainment for the entire family.Activities include a children's fishing derby, 5K run, car show, pancake breakfast, parade, school alumni reunion, speed eating contest, seed . Brokers would stop and negotiate deals to purchase loads to sell elsewhere. The Street family has maintained a controlling interest in the bank since the time of Roe Streets election in 1919. Johnson said people passing off other watermelons as those from Cave City is not a new problem. She has received several awards, such as the Batesville Rotarian of the Year in 2010 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow. The goal was to have the young men take over the operation. From left, Tyler Parsley, Cederic Etheridge, Jonathan Fowler and Julie Johnson, members of the Cave City Watermelon Festival Committee, stand by some of the melons they will be celebrating July 27-29. Cathy Drew is a lifelong resident of the region that she loves to promote. | Privacy Policy This site is paid for with a combination of state funds and private regional association funds. Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). She leaned back on her hoe and looked back at me. 71 were here. Tohi Nature Trail This easy trail is a popular walking and birdwatching trail located just past the WRMC Medical Complex. We dug holes, put water to make a sluice in the ground and then put the plant in. Its the perfect spot to embark on a treasure hunt. CAVE CITY, Ark. Roadside stands are found throughout the city. Gary said, During this time, they were going more for commercial production for selling them to large cities like Chicago. At that time growers rented stalls in a facility near the present day community center. But the town began a steady decline when it was bypassed by the railroad in the late 1800s. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training. To contact our registered growers, check: http://www.cavecitywatermelonfestival.com/about_us.php Courtesy www.cavecityarkansas.info: "These days, the reason for Cave City's renowned and its place on the map is due primarily to the annual Watermel See more 5,505 people like this 5,757 people follow this The Taste of Chicago has a pretty exhaustive Wikipedia page, which is a pretty good indication that the event is practically built into the citys DNA. We love to get the people in here, love to see where everybody comes from for the festival and the watermelons, he said. The Watermelon Growers Games will take place at 3 p.m. at the Orilla Vallie Stage followed by the Free Watermelon Feast at 4 p.m. behind the Orilla Valley Stage. Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). by Cathy Drew | Jul 9, 2021 | Travel Tips. (KAIT) - The Cave City Watermelon Festival is getting closer. First Security Bank, Member FDIC. 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