By Hannah Collins
HANNAH COLLINS | The News
The 2025 Panhandle Watermelon Festival, a long-standing tradition in the Central Panhandle, is set to take place on Friday, June 20, and Saturday, June 21, in Chipley. As part of the festivities, the annual Big Melon Contest will offer growers a chance to showcase their watermelon-growing skills and compete for cash prizes.
The contest is open to all growers, from commercial producers to home gardeners. Winners will be recognized in each variety category, with the heaviest melon in each class receiving $50 and the first runner-up earning $25. Additionally, the grower of the overall heaviest melon will receive a grand prize of $300, while the first runner-up will be awarded $200.
There is no cost to enter the contest, but participating melons will be donated to the festival and auctioned off. Proceeds from the auction will help fund next year’s festival. All contest melons will be displayed during the event, and their variety, weight, and grower information will be announced before the auction begins at 12:00 noon on Saturday at the Washington County Ag Center.
Growers wishing to enter the contest must deliver their melons to the Washington County Ag Center before the festival. The weigh-in will take place on Wednesday, June 18, from 8 am to 4 pm and Thursday, June 19, from 8 am to 7 pm. Those unable to deliver their melons during these times may contact Mark Mauldin in advance to make alternate arrangements. Limited pick-up options may be available upon request.
The Washington County Ag Center is located at 1424 Jackson Ave., Chipley. For more information regarding the contest, interested participants can contact Mark Mauldin at the UF/IFAS Extension, Washington County Office at 850-638-6180 or [email protected].
Contest rules specify that prizes will be awarded for up to 16 classes total. Each variety must have at least two entries to constitute a class. If more than 15 different varieties qualify, the 15 with the highest number of entries will be selected, with ties broken by the number of entrants. Melons not placed in a specific variety class will be grouped together, with one overall winner and a first runner-up chosen from that group.
Staff Report