A Conversation with Rush Springs Watermelon Queen Sydney Long

Our in studio guest this morning was the 2015 Rush Springs Watermelon Queen Ms. Sydney Long. Sydney is the 16-year-old daughter of Regina and Shannon Long and will be a Junior at Rush Springs High School this year.

The Rush Springs Watermelon festival is held the second Saturday in August since 1948, this year's Watermelon Festival will take place on Saturday, August 8th, in Jeff Davis Park.

With all the recent rains we have had Sydney explains that the crops had to be replanted several times this year but there will be plenty of watermelon to feast on at the festival.

The festival will feature an array of watermelon-themed activities from a seed-spitting contest and Watermelon 5K to the annual Watermelon Queen Coronation. The event will also include an arts and craft fair, classic car and motorcycle show, live entertainment, stage shows, local food vendors, carnival rides, kid-friendly activities and more! Not to mention, there will be mouthfuls of FREE watermelon for festival-goers to enjoy that afternoon - over 50,000 pounds worth!

Make a weekend out of it and head to Rush Springs early on Thursday or Friday evening for the annual Rush Springs Rodeo! With action-packed events and a calf scramble at the nearby Rusty Acres Arena, these are two nights of rodeo thrills that you won't want to miss! And, be sure to make your way downtown by 5:00 p.m. on Friday to watch as watermelon-themed and other festive floats parade down the streets during the opening parade! Best of all, admission is free! So start planning your weekend of watermelon-y fun in Rush Springs at this year's Watermelon Festival!

Event Times
Parade: Friday, August 7th (Starts at 5:00 p.m.)
Rodeo: Thursday and Friday Night, August 6th & 7th
Festival: Saturday, August 8th (9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.)

For more information about this event, please contact 580-476-3103.

See more at: Chickasaw Country Events

Sydney also took some time to show us the proper the way to slice a watermelon: