Date:  July 2, 2025  |   Story: Tiffany Adams  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |  

The biggest and the sweetest—The Natural State celebrates both when it comes to watermelon. In the small South Arkansas town of Hope, thinking big spawned a festival when, in 1925, local grower Hugh Laseter harvested a 136-pound watermelon. The thrill of growing prize-size watermelons led to the first Hope Watermelon Festival the following summer, and the tradition has now survived almost a century, taking time off here and there due to varying world circumstances. This year, the 49th annual festival takes place August 7-9, promising everything from slices of the namesake attraction to the Watermelon Olympics and live music along with Southern fare.

While Hope claims the largest melons, Cave City in North Arkansas is touted as “Home of the World’s Sweetest Watermelons.” Each year The Cave City Watermelon Festival (held July 24-26 in 2025) pays tribute to the fruit with a similar roundup of festival folly, including a seed-spitting competition, a fishing derby, parade, and plenty of cold, tasty watermelon to celebrate the art of local growers.

Find more food festivals along with restaurant news and catering tips in the latest release of our sister publication, PLATED: The Arkansas Dining Guide, available exclusively at platedmag.com.