Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. Main Street looking South. For decades, Cave City has been known nationwide for its claim to fame, the sweetest watermelons. The first post master at Cave City was Thomas J. Wooldridge, whose term began December 16, 1892. Julie said she credits their customers with being the main reason their business has remained successful. Big Creek Man Cave Whether you are looking for sporting goods, ammo, hunting for a rare book, or just seeking a cool find Big Creek Man Cave is the place to shop. Read more about how Powhatan is Frozen in Time. The Cave City Watermelon Festival slated for July 29 through 31 is quickly approaching. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused! Daily Deals This salvage grocery and general merchandise store is one of a kind! Gary, laughed and said he told his brother to get her some water. When a watermelon is cut off the vine, it is as good as it ever will be, it wont keep ripening, Gary explained. A melon growers' association was formed at Cave City in 1938. Procedures for Commercial/Industrial Construction. Cave City's registered growers plan to keep the town's tradition alive, and start preparing for the 41st Watermelon festival. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. Maybe you can show them how to tie a cherry stem with ones tongue? Stop in for lunch or dinner and you will know why. And if you are coming from anywhere in Arkansas, it can be a bit of a haul. Thousands are expected to attend the three-day event. People dont have to have watermelons to live. The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. Our watermelon growers work hard all year long to produce "The World's Sweetest" watermelons! The continual hot weather has now put them about one week ahead of schedule in opening the stands. Visitors can view their work with paddlefish, sturgeon, Gulf Coast Striped Bass, walleye, and smallmouth bass. Johnson Brothers was established in 1976. So much so that Cave Citys watermelons are celebrated each year at the annual Cave City Watermelon Festival Celebrating its 42ndyear, the 2022 Cave City Watermelon Festival officials are looking to draw thousands into Cave City for the celebration. The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. The preparation is always crazy, especially this time of year, just on a good year, Johnson said. The Cave City Watermelon Grower stickers with the growers name assure customers they are getting genuine Cave City melons. Now, in its 40th year, the watermelon festival is the largest festival in the region and has been voted as one of Arkansas' best festivals. Our trip starts out in Cave City, but you can travel north to Mammoth Spring or northeast to Black Rock. Johnson Brothers' Watermelon Patch, 2018 (Photo by Chad Graves). This will mark the festival's 30th year. Johnson Brothers Watermelons. Photo courtesy of Arkansas Parks and Tourism. For Craft & Commercial Vendor Inquiries email Hana @ For Volunteer Opportunities call Robin @ 870-283-1195 After the harvest, pulling of the plastic and planting grass on the fields carries their work into October or November. Its the perfect country supply store. 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. Renees Cafe This down-home country restaurant is where you will find the locals hanging out. Weve worked, it seems like, even harder than normal to make sure we have a great festival this year Everythings in place and were ready to have a festival. CAVE CITY, Ark. Whether they are from Cave City or not, the . We did everything wrong we possibly could, Gary said. His son, Eagle Street, later became president in 1942 and served until 1984. The First Baptist Church was organized in June of 1901. Your email address will not be published. So, were hitting the road searching for an official Cave City watermelon and checking out some other sites along the way. Copyright 2021 KAIT. Johnson Brothers was established in 1976. Its likely festival goers will hear him play Watermelon Crawl, a fitting song to help celebrate this Cave City festival. Real, authentic Cave City melons come from registered growers and have an official sticker on them. Updated: Aug. 13, 2020 at 3:19 PM PDT. Jonas Anderson - Mayor of Cave City - orilla vallie stage 12:00pm: Live Music: Deadwood Groove - orilla vallie stage Mammoth Spring is one of the worlds largest natural springs. Please try viewing this website in Edge, Mozilla, Chrome, or another modern browser. Back to . Travel east/northeast out of Cave City along AR-230 and AR-25. Cin-sations Flea Market This hidden treasure isnt found on social media, but you will find loads of treasures inside this quaint antique/junk shop! Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). She also has served as an Independence County election commissioner for several years. It is not just a piece of fruit, its more than that, its a memory. He said that is why they try so hard to ensure their melons come off at the perfect time. To contact our registered growers,. The harvest is the easiest part, according to the brothers. Not necessarily "scare-your-pants-off" adventure but the kind where you seek out new and exciting things. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri. Jonesboro! Panhandlewatermelon.com - , Xranks. Growing watermelons has run in the family for several decades. Many features won't work correctly, and functionality can't be guaranteed. More than 9 million gallons of water flow from it each hour filling a 10-acre lake and flowing into the Spring River. History lovers will enjoy driving past these historic homes. Besides producing quality melons, Julie said the trademark sticker for registered users that brands the melons has helped bring customers to their stand. The couple laughed at the recollection of the memory. This line of the Laman family had settled on Curia Creek, about a mile south of present-day Cave City. This year County Music Legend Tracy Byrd will be headlining the Free festival on Saturday Night. These green rinded beauties are an iconic piece of many summer family get togethers. From July 29-31, hundreds of people will flock to Cave City to attend the festival for the first time in over a year. . Additionally, there are several big events with live music throughout the year. 2021 Cave City Watermelon Festival Set for July 29-31th April 29, 2021by KFFB 106.1 FM Cave City Watermelon Festival is gearing up for another great Festival. Up until that point they had only planted seeds directly in the field. So I prefer to go right to the source. It doesnt quite feel like summertime in Sharp County until the Cave City watermelons hit the stands and that happened this past week. Cave City melons have "Genuine" stickers, too. Every year, they have to deal with imitation melons. The park is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Filed Under . It wasnt always successful, but with each step, they learned and improved or changed their growing methods. Spring River The Spring River is a favorite spot to fish, swim and float. Outfitters include Spring River Oaks, Many Islands Camp and Canoe, and Southfork Resort. CAVE CITY, Ark. One bite into one of these sweet, juicy melons makes it worth the trip. Powhatan served as the Lawrence county seat for nearly 95 years. CAVE CITY, Ark. Created with Sketch. To contact our registered growers,. 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. They carry everything you need for a successful fishing trip on the Spring River. The prize melon auction is at 5 p.m. and benefits Arkansas Children's Hospital. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri. They are located 2 1/2 miles north of Cave City. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. For a hillbilly like us to see all those hundreds of acres of beautiful watermelons all exactly the same size because they had all been transplanted on plastic was just amazing to us. Watermelon Growers Games - In front of Melon stage. The Johnson Brothers also grow cantaloupes and typically employ four or five teenagers to help get the melons out each summer. Tohi Nature Trail This easy trail is a popular walking and birdwatching trail located just past the WRMC Medical Complex. Phillip - 870-307-9632 Gary - 870-283-2854 In the beginning, they took trips to sell melons. . Johnson Brothers Watermelons is a family operated business consisting of Gary & Becky & Phillip &. That is a big deal to us. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); We select one featured photo per week, but we show many more in our gallery. Copyright 2018KAIT. The Bank of Cave City was organized in 1906, with James A. Laman as the first president. The Johnsons reputation is based on the sweetness and perfection of their melons and they dont want to put the responsibility of cutting them off the vine on anyone else. Sometimes the lot is so full the melon trucks cant get in to unload. Watermelons can be bought from these certified growers: Patterson Bros Watermelons Brian Carter's Cave City Watermelons Tim Carter Melon Farms Johnson Brothers Watermelons Miller. Also, be sure to grab a piece of carrot cake if its on the menu. No one picks the watermelons but Gary and Phillip. Search results are sorted by a combination of factors to give you a set of choices in response to your search criteria. After returning to Cave City from World War II, Lester became a watermelon farmer in 1945. Then, in 1875, the current county line was established, moving the Independence County line to its present location and creating Cave Township. 167 North of Cave City. Source: http://www.kait8.com/story/38582549/cave-city-watermelon-growers-warn-against-knockoffs Share The Watermelon Growers Games begin at 3 p.m. with a free watermelon feast at 4 p.m. Other students moved into town and boarded with family, friends, or in boarding houses which were made available to entice more students to the school. The Watermelon Parade is at 10 a.m. Live music begins at noon and features Deadwood Grove, followed by The Gravel Yard Bluegrass Band. Pioneer Lane Greenhouse Fill up your garden with beautiful plants and trees from the Pioneer Lane Greenhouse. The fact is, growers begin working to bring the melons to the area months before with preparations long before the plants even go into the green-houses and eventually into the earth where they will grow. The Fourth of July Picnic at Cave City was another major attraction, bringing folks from all over the surrounding country. 167. 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. The Cave City Watermelon Festival will take place July 26-28 at the Cave City city park. Prior to that, Phillip said, We just trusted in the Lord and the weather. Rainfall or lack thereof is detrimental to the production of watermelons. Over the years, the Johnsons have overcome any obstacle in their path. The owner of Cave City Produce Company is not doing anything illegal. That is what is so amazing, the last few years, people come to us and we dont take that for granted. Phillip Johnson. To contact our registered growers, check:. CAVE CITY, Ark. Artisan Grill The Artisan Grill takes the food you love and gives it a flare that makes it more than special. With a wagon and team, Worsh hauled his melons out of the field and placed them in Big Creek near present day North Ridge Road to cool. 20/07/2019 . WEATHERFORD, TEXAS - The north Texas city was once one of the state's biggest watermelon growers (not so much anymore) and once featured an oversized watermelon sculpture outside its courthouse. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. SHARP COUNTY'S WIDEST CIRCULATED AND ONLY LOCALLY OWNED NEWSPAPER. The plants will have established a root ball in about five or six weeks, and are solid enough to be transplanted. John S. 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