Watermelon Festival 2008

Today, June 21st was the 58th Annual Watermelon Festival Parade. There were queens, Grand Marshalls, Volunteers, and because of the election year....politicians, politicians and politicians!

Dean drove the little car, and the Grand Marshall, his wife, two kids, his mama and a few extra nieces and nephews. I don't know how they all got in there, but they became a close knit group. For those of you who do not recognize Super Bowl cornerback for the New York Giants, Sam Madison, he is a local football hero, former 4X Pro Bowler with the Miami Dolphins, who was the Grand Marshall for the parade. Dean says his Super Bowl ring was huge.

This is our Altrusa Float. We won for the best Civic Group float. Yes, that is me as the "Reader"..I got that position on the float for two reasons...after 8 years in Monticello, I am still the new kid on the block and I taught school soooo...I was in charge of the little ones riding. My friends know, that I intentionally NEVER taught below the second grade, but as usual, I learned a thing or two from these little ones, especially Gabbie, who is my new "Best Friend"!

This is Gabbie holding, "David", a snail she picked up in the parking lot before climbing up onto the float. For the life of me, I could see no snail, but since I had no glasses on to see, I guarded him with my life throughout the parade, while holding on to crawling, kicking, and hitting little cuties, who were SUPPOSED to be listening to a "story" and waving to their parents and grandparents. While we were waiting for the parade to begin, we were in the shade, so it was cool...as soon as we were in the sun for 5 seconds the little ones began getting a little grumpy!! Gabbie, started holding her head, complaining about the heat, and asking when she was going to get to ride the float. When I told her that we were on the float, she asked "But where is the water?" See parents?? Children don't always understand, even though they hear??!! I explained that it was a "dry" float...the parade would last a few minutes, and we could get some "drinking" water when we got off the float. Oh NO, I just remembered...I think I lost "David" ! :(

The next pictures are examples of the politicians with their floats, tractors, horses and mules!!

After the parade, I went home to pick up Dean, since he did not want to park the little car downtown. We attended the Children's Theater production, "Don't Trash Mother Earth". Many of the children in the production were part of our church family, and it was a precious show!

All in all, it was a great day...after the parade and theater production, downtown was filled with blue grass bands, cloggers, food vendors, and artisans lining the streets. In a small town, with a big celebration, food is cooked by everyone or anyone with a grill..you can get the best barbecue, fried fish, and of course fresh watermelon all over the town!! This evening, there will be ghost tours in the "Most Haunted" small town in America....And all day there will be seed spitting contests, food eating contests, face paintings, and music ,music , music.

For those of you getting "jealous", or just "curious"...the Watermelon Festival is held on the third weekend of June...The Lazy J has rooms...the "caretakers" may be in the parade...and if you get here early enough so may YOU!!! :)