From the St. Patrick's Day festival and parade in Emmetsburg, Iowa to the Annual Shrimp Festival of Fernandina Beach, Florida, annual festivals and celebrations are some of the most interesting and varied day trips that one can make. The Hampton County Watermelon Festival boasts that they are the oldest, continuing festival in South Carolina.
The 2010 Hampton County Watermelon Festival runs from Saturday, June 19th through Sunday, June 27th. Multiple events take place in the first week of the pageant- June 19th through Thursday, June 24th. These include a motorcycle ride, a variety of pageants, festival displays, photo exhibit, an annual fishing contest, a "Taste of Hampton"- over a 100 food dishes to sample made by local chefs- and a watermelon carving demonstration.
For those with only one day to visit the festival, a trip on either Friday, June 25th or on Saturday, June 26th is recommended. On both Friday and Saturday, there will be an arts and crafts exhibit and food concessions all day long and Michael's Carnival with rides and games. Friday also boasts a festival exhibit, the Orangeburg Line Dancers, and a street dance. For those visiting on Saturday, there will be a 5K run, a melon judging, a parade, a watermelon eating contest, and free watermelon.
Hampton County has been organizing and hosting this festival for 68 years straight. While the name of the festival boasts of the main concern- watermelon- there is truly something for everyone to do. Hampton is located a mere hour's drive from Charleston, South Carolina, making it a wonderful day trip opportunity for both those living in the area and those simply visiting.
For further information, please visit the Hampton County Watermelon Festival Website.
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