Newberry welcomed visitors far and wide to its 63rd Annual Watermelon Festival on Saturday.
The festival, held at the Canterbury Equestrian Showplace, is a celebration originating from when veterans returned home from World War II, said Chari Holder, Watermelon Committee president. "At that time, watermelon was one of the town's biggest commodities," Holder said.
The festival ran all day and offered activities ranging from beauty pageants and pie baking to seed spitting and hog calling.
A free slice of watermelon awaited each festival visitor.
Josh Jones, who was in charge of slicing the watermelons, said the festival gets the melons from the South.
Jones has been going to the festival for as long as he can remember.
"I'd have to say all of it is my favorite part," he said. "I love watching the little kids eat melons."
Holder said a committee of about 10 people put the festival together.
Tameray Brazeal, a member of the committee, has played a part in the festival for 15 years.
"Being here so many years, you get to see the same people, and you know they come back because they enjoy it here," Brazeal said.
The festival had about 100 booths and 17 food vendors in attendance.
The booths sold items like homemade signs, purses, quilts and jewelry.
It's the first year Veronica Dunn set up her Sweet Temptations festival booth.
Dunn owns a store that makes sweets in Crystal River, and she made watermelon flavored fudge just for the event.
Dunn was not the only one who traveled a distance to set up shop.
Jeff Stalvey, from Georgia, owns a food-vending booth that sells funnel cakes and freshly squeezed lemonade.
The festival has been profitable enough that it has kept him coming back for the last six years.
The event is also used by participants to raise money for different causes.
Mikaela Jordan, an 11-year-old member of the United Methodist Church Youth Group in Newberry, worked at a booth to raise money for the youth group's camp.
As a five-year veteran of the festival, her favorite part is "probably the melon."
Holder said proceeds from the festival go back to the community.
In the past, the festivals have donated to the Red Cross as well as other community organizations.
This year, they will award a $500 scholarship to a Newberry High School senior and will also aid a local man with his fight against leukemia.
