Do you think you have what it takes to compete against the best watermelon seed spitters from the Rio Grande Valley? If so, join us in Alamo for the 4th Annual Watermelon Festival on Saturday, May 21st.
Vendors, games, activities and the cool-crisp taste of watermelon have all become synonymous with the popular festival, and this year is no exception. Leave it to the festival to provide enthusiasm and non-stop fun! The main attraction is, of course, the watermelon competitions, which will be open to everyone who registers on time.
In 2014, the competition drew close to a whopping 500 participants in the seed-spitting and watermelon-eating contests. The event for that year also drew over 2,500 people. With neighborhood volunteers, festivalgoers and area merchants, the Watermelon Festival continues to grow every year.
Come to Alamo and Promote Your Business
California has Coachella, Austin has South by Southwest and Alamo has the Watermelon Festival. Festivals are synonymous with spring and in Alamo, residents will be bumping elbows while they enjoy the hottest bands (David Lee Garza and Curtis Grimes are some of the acts).
Businesses planning on becoming vendors at the event should get ready to step outside and start promoting their products. Most businesses overlook the opportunities that spring and summer festivals can bring to the table, but the Alamo Economic Development Corporation (EDC) will show how to get the most out of the Watermelon Festival:
- The Watermelon Festival attracts people from all over the Rio Grande Valley from all ages, shapes and sizes. Be prepared to sell your product to a millennial one second and a baby boomer the next. Centennials (born after 1996) should also be on your list.
- Be Prepared. Advanced planning is required if you’re looking to collect leads. Make sure to have enough samples and marketing material to give out, as there will most likely be a huge turnout. Alamo is expecting over 2,000 people at the event. Before you know it, you could be running out of brochures and pamphlets halfway into the festival. Plan ahead to make sure this doesn’t happen to you!
- Make sure that your displays and company’s logo are appealing. You won’t be the only vendor at the event. Other businesses will be vying to get as much attention as possible, too. Make sure that when potential customers give you their time, it’s well spent on describing what you have and what you’re offering in order to make the best impression possible.
- Set goals on how many leads you want to collect or how many customers you want to talk to. Track the results and fine-tune them later on for another event.
The Watermelon Festival is Back, Bigger and Better!
Every year, watermelon seed-spitting contests are held all over the world, but in its fourth year running, the Watermelon Festival has become home to the best watermelon eating and seed-spitting competition in the Rio Grande Valley. Ever since 2013, over 2,000 people have descended unto Alamo from all over the state to participate in the main event.
Participants will either spit watermelon seeds as far as possible or can participate in the watermelon-eating contest. It’s quite a sight to behold; a huge crowd either feverishly eating watermelon or spitting seeds in order to win the title.
Watermelon-Eating Tips
The Watermelon Festival wouldn’t be complete without watermelon-eating would it? No, it wouldn’t. Count on watermelon-eating to bring thrilling finishes, enthusiasm, friendly competition and messy faces. Every year, the competition brings famous stories of the last two contestants munching down to finish while the crowd cheers. Follow the tips below to secure yourself a spot among the best:
- Forget about keeping your face clean, the easiest way to pull ahead of the competition is to be the messiest.
- Spitting seeds out will cost you time. You might not be aware, but watermelon seeds are actually quite healthy. They’ll give you a dose of magnesium, iron and folate. Ignore that old urban legend about swallowing watermelon seeds and having one grow in your belly!
- For girls (and some men) that have long hair, make sure it’s pulled back. The last thing you want during this competition is a distraction.
- Concentrate on small bites that you can swallow entirely. Remember time is not your ally; chewing will cost several precious seconds.
- Remember, these competitions are usually cutthroat. Winning can come down to just a couple of watermelon bites. Eating fast and furious is the way to go.
Watermelon Seed-Spitting Tips
The current Guinness World Record holder for watermelon seed-spitting is Lee Wheelis from Luling, Texas. He was able to spit a seed at an incredible distance of 68 feet and 9 inches!
Sounds unbelievable, doesn’t it? Well, it happened, and leave it to a Texan to claim the record. Below are some tips and techniques you might want to use just in case you feel like breaking the record:
- Be Prepared – Try to select a heavy or large seed and moisten your mouth with some watermelon juice. Aim for centering the seed on your tongue with the tapered end positioned in a way that allows you to aim better. If you can roll your tongue, do so; this will make for a good shot when you spit.
- Inhale Through Your Nose – Don’t breathe through your mouth, you’ll more than likely swallow the seed and lose precious time against rivals. Inhale deeply through your nose and if there’s room, lean back to shoot the seed further.
- Aim – Tilt your head back just enough to get the seed past the spit line. You might have to adjust your tactic depending on the environment.
- Fire – Remember to sharpen your technique before the competition. You can shoot up, create an arc (although remember that there could be wind which can dispel your bullet) or aim lower and hope it bounces toward the finish line.
Remember to Have Fun!
Alamo continues to become a beacon of commercial activity in the Rio Grande Valley. As one of the most energetic and vibrant communities, Alamo is home to affordable land and low living wages, a perfect combo for manufactures and businesses who are looking to expand. If you’re interested in expanding into the South Texas market, then Alamo is the perfect place to start. Call us anytime at the Alamo EDC to talk about some of the incentives we have for businesses.