When watermelons were ripe and plentiful, big pink posters cut oval
with a painted border of green and black lettering on the pink
startled the village with the notice of a watermelon frolic.
They read:
_Do you like watermelon?
Anyway
Be sure to come to a watermelon party
on the local fairgrounds
next Tuesday evening
Admission 25 cents
This entitles you to see the minstrel show
Proceeds for the Epworth League
of ---- Church_
Long plank tables on wooden horses were improvised for serving the
watermelons which were contributed by the members of the society. Some
of the men acted as carvers of the melons, and the girls served the
portions, which were sold for ten cents each.
The grounds were lighted with strings of electric lights in pink and
green paper lanterns.
Besides the main attraction there were several booths and side shows,
arranged country fair fashion, which drew well. One was labeled THE
WATERMELON PATCH. For this, real watermelon vines had been obtained
from somebody's garden and placed naturally on the ground. To the
vines were tied any number of artificial melons made of green paper
stuffed with cotton wadding which concealed tiny favors.
On payment of ten cents any person had the privilege of picking a
melon. The prize inside was supposed to be worth the fee.
At another booth, "watermelon cake" was served at five cents a slice.
The secret of this was that in making a plain cake the batter had been
colored with pink sugar and sprinkled with raisins. The cake was then
baked in a round tin and when sliced resembled the pink of watermelon
filled with black seeds.
As it was sweet corn season, and as corn is also typical of the South,
there was a hot corn vender, who sold steaming ears straight from
kettle to buyer.
One feature of the evening was a watermelon contest among the boys.
Volunteers were called for and lined up at a table. They were then
supplied with large wedges of melon and at the sound of the referee's
whistle the race began.
The prize was a whole watermelon.
There was also a watermelon hurdle race. The course was laid out with
big watermelons and time was kept for each hurdler.
The main attraction of the evening, however, was the minstrel show. On
a raised wooden platform sat the performers with blackened hands
and faces. They wore grotesque garb and each one fingered a guitar,
mandolin, or banjo.
First they gave a number of well-known Southern melodies such as _Old
Black Joe, Swanee Riber, Dixie, Massa's in de Cold, Cold Ground_. Some
whistling numbers were much appreciated and _My Alabama Coon_, with
its humming and strumming, proved a great success. As a special item
of their musical program they sang a parody of _Apple Blossom Time_
called _It's Watermelon Time in Dixie_.
The watermelon frolic was a great success and is recommended to any
organization in town or country at watermelon time as a fun--and
funds--producing social.
_Parody_
"When It's Watermelon Time in Dixie"[1]