Kentucky loves a good festival and the tastier the theme, the better. If you need proof, simply look to the World Chicken Festival, the Beer Cheese Festival, or even the Kentucky State BBQ Festival. We like to throw a food-related party and when we do, we go all out. One town has been in on this fun for almost four decades and this year you’ll want to mark your calendar for its event. Tompkinsville in Monroe County transforms into a watermelon wonderland each year and it’s quite possibly the sweetest gathering in Kentucky.

Monroe County is located on the Tennessee border with the tiny town of Tompkinsville right in the middle. Each year near the end of summer, this town transforms into the sweetest watermelon wonderland.
Flickr/J. Stephen Conn
2018 will be the festival's 39th year and the event will take place on Saturday, September 1st. It's an all-day affair that attracts visitors from all over the region for tons of family-friendly fun, unique events, a parade, and plenty of watermelon for everyone.
The festival itself will happen on Main Street in Tompkinsville, where the quiet town will turn into a bustling and festive gathering.
Facebook/Monroe County Watermelon Festival
Facebook/Monroe County Watermelon Festival
Many events kick off right in the morning and one of the biggest highlights — the parade — will begin at 10 a.m. Locals and visitors line the streets for this delightful small town parade that includes everything from tractors to horses to antique cars.
Most then spend the day wandering around the festival, checking out the craft fair, other events, rides, and food.
Facebook/Monroe County Watermelon Festival

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Facebook/Monroe County Watermelon Festival
In its 39th year, the festival is a longstanding tradition in the town with no signs of slowing down. Since it always takes place near the end of summer, it's a great way to wrap up another exciting season in Kentucky.
As a watermelon-themed festival, you can expect to see plenty of these popular summer fruits throughout the event in both its natural form and in more creative ways.
Facebook/Monroe County Watermelon Festival
Facebook/Monroe County Watermelon Festival
There are watermelon costumes, watermelon decorating contests, watermelon games (including seed spitting, of course), and even a competition to see who has grown the biggest watermelon.
Watermelon is a sweet feature of summer in Kentucky and Monroe County's Festival celebrates it in the best way possible.
Facebook/Monroe County Watermelon Festival
This tiny town gets together for all of the watermelon festivities you can imagine and a good time is always had by all at this watermelon wonderland in Kentucky.

The Monroe County Watermelon Festival is a fun-filled day in Kentucky with plenty of things to do, events to see, and of course, watermelon to eat. Have you been to this watermelon wonderland in Kentucky? Any other watermelon festivals in our state we should know about? Let us know in the comments!

For more information on the upcoming Monroe County Watermelon Festival, follow along with them on Facebook here.

And for more of the best festivals in Kentucky, check out our previous article here.

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