Now in its third year, the annual Watermelon Festival is set to bring family-oriented fun to Sale Creek at McDonald Farm for two full days, Saturday, August 22nd, and Sunday, August 23rd.
Each day is packed with all things Watermelon, from watermelon-eating and rolling contests to watermelon-inspired dishes, tasty treats, desserts, drinks, and so much more.
The perfect event to cool folks down during these hot summer days, the Watermelon Festival will also feature live music from local Scenic City acts like The Briars, Bryanna Fuquea, Shani Palmer, and Corey James Clifton. There will be food trucks, multiple vendors, family-friendly activities, and a kids zone full of inflatables, animal encounters, and “splash fun.”
Set at McDonald Farm against a beautiful countryside backdrop, the festival is rapidly becoming a late-summer staple in the region. Being outdoors on the farm also ties in Chattanooga’s identity as an outdoor city, further showcasing Shop the Market At’s impact in creating markets, events, and festivals that connect communities while building traditions designed to last.
In speaking with the founder of the Watermelon Festival and Shop the Market At, Rob Davis, he detailed what folks can expect that might not be listed online from the third annual festival.
“Being the third annual Watermelon Festival at McDonald Farm in Sale Creek, it’s really exciting for us to look back and see just how much this event has grown since the very first year. We’ve added so many new activities, contests, vendors, and experiences, and some of the additions we’re most excited about this year are the Giant Watermelon Championship, the Hottest Hillbilly Contest, and our Watermelon Monarchy contests for Prince, Princess, King, and Queen.
We’ve also brought in jump, dunk, and slide inflatables along with Fun Train USA, which will be bringing a massive 35-by-35-foot industrial misting tent standing 18 feet tall so families can cool off during the festival. And that’s still only part of what we have planned. There is so much more happening this year, and we really feel like the Watermelon Festival has grown into something special that families can come out, spend the day, and truly enjoy together.”
Davis went on to discuss the impact that these festivals and markets have had on the Greater Chattanooga area, detailing how crucial each vendor is, and how they work to choose venues that will generate strong foot traffic to connect more customers with these vendors’ products.
“Vendors, farmers, artists, makers, and small businesses are such an important part of every event we produce, and we genuinely want to see them do well. The truth is, without our vendors, there would be no markets, festivals, or special events. They are a huge part of what brings each event to life, and the creativity, products, and energy they bring into a community are a big reason these events continue to grow and succeed.
Whenever possible, we choose venues that are already well known or recognizable and that have the potential to bring strong foot traffic. Our hope is that all of that work helps create an even stronger environment for our vendors to connect with new customers and grow their businesses. We truly appreciate the vendors who choose to be part of our events, and we remain committed to finding new ways to create bigger and better opportunities for them year after year.”
When asked about what direction he sees the Watermelon Festival and Shop the Market At heading in the next few years, he mentioned growth and aiming to continue to build on the markets and festivals they’ve already created, while teasing a major opportunity that they hope will take their events to an entirely new level.
“We truly see the Watermelon Festival continuing to grow year after year, and our goal is to keep building on what we’ve created at McDonald Farm in Sale Creek, Tennessee. Beyond the Watermelon Festival, we also have some very exciting plans for the future, including exploring new locations and larger opportunities for our events.
One opportunity we’re especially excited about involves working with a major musical artist here in Tennessee who also owns multiple businesses. We’re not quite ready to share the details yet, but we’re hopeful this opportunity could help take our events to an entirely new level, and, most importantly, create even greater opportunities for the vendors and small businesses who are such an important part of what we do.”
3rd Annual Watermelon Festival
- 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. August 22-23
- McDonald Farm. 16705 Coulterville Road. Sale Creek. TN
- $5. Children under 10 are free.
- shopthemarketat.com/events/watermelon-festival