Annual Rush Springs Watermelon Festival returns for 79th Year with full day of events

RUSH SPRINGS, Okla. ( KFDX/KJTL ) — The annual Rush Springs Watermelon Festival and Rodeo is returning for its 79th year on Saturday August 10 2024 at Jeff Davis Park in Rush Springs, Oklahoma.

The annual event celebrates the local watermelon crop with events throughout the day, starting with a 10k run at 7 a.m., the opening ceremonies starting at 9, and a full day of activities for the whole family featuring live entertainment, arts and crafts vendors, food vendors, a car show, and also a carnival.

There’s also a Royalty Ceremony featuring the 2024 Rush Springs Watermelon Queen, Audrey Heath. Heath campaigned and raised money for the watermelon festival before being crowned 2024 Rush Springs Watermelon Queen at Queen Night, and Heath adds that it means a lot to her to be the Watermelon Queen and to help promote the event with the title.

“I’ve dreamed of this since I was a little girl. I’ve never missed a queen night,” Audrey Heath says, “It’s just so much fun to finally have this title. I am blessed to have this title.”

Heath recalls that one of her favorite parts from years past is the free watermelon feed and the melon exhibit where a large selection of juicy watermelons are available to attendees.

This year’s event will continue the watermelon feed tradition, with free watermelon will even be given out around 4 p.m., as well a featuring a prize watermelon auction, a seed spitting contest, and a performance from the band 40 Roses. The event is free to attend, and parking is also free.

In addition to the Saturday festival day events, a carnival and rodeo will take place on both Thursday and Friday, including a rodeo parade at 5 p.m. on Main Street prior to the rodeo on Friday! The carnival will start at 6 p.m. both nights and the rodeo starts at 8 p.m. both nights.

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