//Chiefland Watermelon Festival Draws Huge Crowd
Chiefland Watermelon Festival royalty are shown. From the left, 2023 Chiefland Teen Queen Lanay Grinstead, Princess Cali Knapp, and Queen Emerie Woodall; 2023 Newberry Watermelon Queen Tori Mills, Teen Queen Breiley Hines and Teen Queen Ansley Young.
Latest NewsJune 3, 2023

Chiefland Watermelon Festival Draws Huge Crowd

By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

                The 69th Annual Chiefland Watermelon Festival brought record crowds Saturday to the festival grounds and the parade.

            Turned out, the weather was pure sunshine and warm temperatures. People just wanted to relax and have some fun.

            Watermelons are a big cash crop in Levy County and it’s been that way for as long as anyone can remember.

            Watermelon royalty was on hand for the festival.

            Chiefland’s 2023 Watermelon Queen Emerie Woodall and her court, Princess Cali Knapp, and Teen Queen Lanay Grinstead were part of the festival.

            Newberry’s 2023 Watermelon Queen Tori Mills of Williston and her court, Ms. Teen Queen Braley Hines, and Teen Queen Ansley Young joined in the festival activities.

            Chiefland farmers donated watermelons for the auction and for the watermelon tent. The free watermelon slices were going over big at the tent.

            The Chiefland Woman’s Club sponsored the festival. Volunteers in the club did a stellar job. The Suwannee River Rotary Club sponsored the Tour de Melon, a 100-mile race through the Chiefland countryside. The club also did a great job.

            If crowd size meant anything, and it did, the 69th Annual Chiefland Watermelon Festival was a huge success.

Chiefland Watermelon Festival royalty are shown. From the left, 2023 Chiefland Teen Queen Lanay Grinstead, Princess Cali Knapp, and Queen Emerie Woodall; 2023 Newberry Watermelon Queen Tori Mills, Teen Queen Breiley Hines and Teen Queen Ansley Young.
Chiefland Watermelon Festival royalty are shown. From the left, 2023 Chiefland Teen Queen Lanay Grinstead, Princess Cali Knapp, and Queen Emerie Woodall; 2023 Newberry Watermelon Queen Tori Mills, Teen Queen Breiley Hines, and Teen Queen Ansley Young.
A toy train loaded with young passengers makes its way down the parade route followed by a line of big tractors. The crowd was large.
A toy train loaded with young passengers makes its way down the parade route followed by a line of big tractors. The crowd was large.
Chiefland Little Watermelon Queen Emma Bowdoin waves to the crowd along the parade route.
Chiefland Little Watermelon Queen Emma Bowdoin waves to the crowd along the parade route.
Uncle Jam, portrayed by Duane Schwingel, poses for the crowd as he stands atop a business float.
Uncle Jam, portrayed by Duane Schwingel, poses for the crowd as he stands atop a business float.
At the festival grounds, the crowd was big but everyone seemed to have no problem navigating to their favorite vendors.
At the festival grounds, the crowd was big but everyone seemed to have no problem navigating to their favorite vendors.

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Enterprise Reporting By Terry Witt June 3, 2023; Posted June 3, 2023

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