I love to spit Wallamelon seeds!

“When one has tasted watermelon he knows what the angels eat!” Mark Twain

Melons are a marvelous contradiction. They are gourds, cousins of squash and pumpkins, which are wonderfully sweet when ripe. While they grow on vines, they are not really true berries, but are false berries because they have inferior ovaries, meaning that the flower and fruit can ripen independently. Though they are sweet, they are low in calories due to their high water content. The genus cucumis is the family of true melons and includes cantaloupes, muskmelons, honeydew, kiwanos, and cucumber varieties. These melons have been cultivated in Africa and the Middle East for over 4000 years. The watermelon is a relative with a more developed rind and seeds throughout the flesh. Watermelons probably originated over 5000 years ago in the Kalahari Desert and traveled up the Nile and spread to the rest of the world. Their 92% water content makes them an excellent diuretic; they are sometimes “plugged” with liquor to add life to parties. Speaking of getting pickled, the rind can be pickled and as such is popular in Asia and the Southern U.S.

"Watermelon – it’s a good fruit. You eat, you drink, you wash your face." Enrico Caruso

Festivals:
http://www.wix.com/fjaycees/watermelonfestival Farmerville, LA
http://www.watermelonfest.com/ Winterville, NC
http://www.lionswatermelonfestival.com/ Sunland, CA