If you live in Richmond, you're familiar with the eccentric multitude of festivals that take place. But if you're new, you'll learn this is a city built on the tradition of celebration, known for hosting exciting festivals featuring just about anything you can think of.
Richmond's Carytown has been a proud host to the annual Watermelon Festival since 1984. Thousands of people gather on Cary street and the surrounding areas for games, fun, laughter, and of course watermelon. Last year, the event catered twenty six hundred watermelon to guests. Its an exciting occasion for all ages, and it occurs on the first Sunday of August.
This festival is an especially exciting time for local businesses spread out across Cary Street. T-Shirt Studio, one of the newer places to open up in Carytown, designed this year's shirt. With the amount of incoming traffic of newcomers, such as VCU families moving in, or just the local townies coming out, the Carytown Watermelon Festival allows the businesses to advertise and market: get their name out and more importantly, become a part of the tradition.
An interesting addition to the festival, which many don't know, is the story behind the Shriners, who have made an appearance for years. The family of merchants and costumed men sell watermelons each year, as donated by Martin's, to give back and benefit the Shriners Hospital for children. The pediatric facilities, located in multiple cities across the United States, is the only healthcare system which provides free treatment to children. By purchasing a watermelon, you directly help others in need.
This year, the Carytown Watermelon Festival fell on August 9th from 10am to 6pm and was proudly sponsored by Martin's. There were sixty performers expected, and at least a hundred vendors set up across Cary street. Whether this is your first time hearing about it, or you're a returning guest/familiar to this local tradition of Richmond, this event is not something to miss in the future.
Source: http://carytownrva.org/watermelon-festival.html
