Watermelon Festival on August 10: Schedule of events

The Rush Springs Watermelon Festival is August 10, 2024 on Main Street in Rush Springs!

This annual event celebrates the rush of local seasonal watermelons with watermelon-themed activities, carnival rides and family-friendly entertainment. The Rush Springs, Oklahoma Watermelon Festival has been an annual event since 1948, and has grown to over 20,000 festival-goers each year.

The event will feature a seed-spitting contest, an arts and craft fair featuring over 100 vendors, carnival rides, live entertainment, stage shows, on-site food vendors and a classic automotive show.

Festivities will begin at 9 a.m. with the Opening Ceremonies followed by the Tiny Tots Contest at 9:30 a.m.

At 10:30 a.m. Wiley Winters and Missy Rude will perform. Winters was the 2023 Male Vocalist of the Year, and Missy was the 2023 Female Vocalist of the Year and 2023 Entertainer of the Year.

At 11:15 a.m. Autumn Coleman will perform.

Autumn Coleman is a festival favorite, according to the Festival. She is a very talented young lady who has a passion to sing for Christ. She serves on her praise and worship team at church, as well as attending the Oklahoma Baptist Children’s Choir & performing with her peers all over the state! She was Little Miss Rush Springs in 2016.

Following Coleman, Kris Gifford will take the stage at 11:30 a.m. Local talent, Kris Gifford, is very involved with his church, Vimy Ridge, where he is The Brotherhood director. In addition to his job at RP Trucking, Chris works at Dorian’s Fruit Stand.

Former queen interviews will take place ar 12 pm noon followed by the Royalty Ceremony at 12:30 p.m. featuring The Queen and Little Mr. and Mrs. Rush Springs.

Nyli Brown will perform at 1 pm followed by the Seed Spitting Finals at 1:30 p.m.

Malissa Johnson will perform at 2 p.m. followed by the Redskin Talent Showcase at 2:45 p.m.

The Prize Watermelon Auction will take place at 3:15 p.m. and then Gage Wilkerson will perform at 4 p.m.

There will be a FREE watermelon fed afterward and the featured band 40 Roses will take the stage at 4:30 p.m. before the Closing Remarks by Queen Audrey Heath and another performance by 40 Roses.

The Watermelon Queen this year is Audrey Heath. “To have the honor of being Watermelon Queen means that you get to be the face and spokesperson for the festival,” said Health, a recent graduate of Rush Springs High School.

“I consider it an honor and a privilege to be able to spread the word about our amazing festival and represent the hard work our farmers have been putting in all summer to bring yall the best Watermelon around.”