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.
…
