Up to 30,000 enjoy Rush Springs event

Karen Brady

Thousands of visitors once again descended upon Jeff Davis Park in the town of Rush Springs for the 64th annual watermelon festival this weekend.

One of the most popular events in the state, drawing 20,000 to 30,000 visitors each year, the festival has been an annual affair since 1940, with the exception of five years during World War II, when it was temporarily discontinued.

This year, there were a whopping 48,640 pounds of ripe watermelons on hand for a dollar a slice until 4 p.m. After that, the melons went for free until they were gone.

For every person who digs into a watermelon, there is a different eating style. Some eat daintily with a fork, while others are a little less delicate.

Take Trenton and Alyssa Gamble, children of Vera and Paris Gamble of Edmond for instance.

While Trenton, 14, a 10th grader at Santa Fe High School, prefers to use his fingers to scoop the juicy, pink fruit into his mouth, little sister Alyssa, 9, a fifth grader at Charles Haskell Elementary foregoes the use of fingers as well as utensils and dives in head first, watermelon juice dripping off her chin as she smiles broadly.

Alvin Ihrig of Wellston and Steve Brumley of Edmond, both clad in colorful Hawaiian shirts, are more sedate, preferring to dine with forks rather than their hands or faces, as do Joan Gunter and Larry Albright, both of Oklahoma City.

However, Maggie Evans, 1, daughter of Jay and Sherrie Evans of Chickasha, enjoys her first festival watermelon by grabbing a tiny fistful and sticking it into her mouth. Maggie has the right idea and is wearing a bib to catch the inevitable juices.

Along with the watermelon come the pesky seeds. So, to make the most of them, a watermelon seed spitting contest is held each year.

Deedra Rennaker, who keeps track of participants’ names and distances spit, has been doing so since she was a child.

“I’ve done the seed spittin’ thing since I was 10 or 12,” she said. “My Paw Paw always did it and after he passed away about four years ago, Jimmy Williams asked me to keep doing it, now he counts on me to be there.”

Although Rennaker attends the festival every year, she will soon be moving to Utah where her fiancé will be stationed as a military recruiter.

“I’ve never missed one, so I guess I’ll have to come home every year,” she said.

Winners this year include, in the grade school division, Franklin Grover, 12, of Rush Springs, who spit a seed 37 feet and 10 inches; in the high school division, Jeff Foust of Duncan who sailed his seed 55 feet and 10 inches; and, in the adult division, Julien Lima of Norman with a distance of 51 feet and six inches.

In the final sudden-death spit off, Lima walked away with the championship with a distance of 43 feet and four inches.

While many are chowing down on watermelon, or spitting seeds, others take shelter from the summer sun in the pavilion to watch the Tiny Tots Contest.

Rush Springs’ youngest residents vie for the titles of Mr. and Miss Rush Springs through interviews and talents like singing. While some contestants readily sing their chosen songs, others are too shy to answer questions much less sing.

This year’s Mr. and Miss Rush Springs are Fisher Hart, son of Randy and Tracy Hart and Alexa Flick, daughter of James and Jennifer Flick, all of Rush Springs.

Three-year-old Collier Ladwig, son of Shawn and Summer Ladwig, stole the show with his antics, placing second in the competition, along with Myka Brady, daughter of Michael and Deana Brady. Third place winners were Colton Heston, son of Jarod and Cindy Heston and Alexa Murrell, daughter of Brian and Heather Murrell, all of Rush Springs.

The 2008 Watermelon Queen is Meagan Hitt, 18, a 2008 graduate of Rush Springs High School who is now attending Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford. She is the daughter of Max and Klayn Hitt, and the granddaughter of Betty and James Heilman and Shirley and Dail Hitt, all of Rush Springs.

The Watermelon Queen contest is sponsored each year by the Rush Springs Lions club.

Traditionally, the largest watermelons are on display all afternoon and then are auctioned off to the highest bidder at the end of the day. This year, the largest watermelon weighed in at a hefty 139 pounds, with the second place melon weighing a “scant” 118 pounds.

Despite the big melon’s immense size, it is the fifth largest on record, the largest being a 156 pounder entered back in 1977 by Steve and Justin Jones.

In addition to the watermelon-related festivities, the festival also offers more than 100 different vendors selling anything from pork rinds to leather goods and bath salts and cheesecake.

One unusual item offered was the “Cluckin’ Chicken,” a red plastic cup with wiggly eyes and a yellow beak that clucked like a chicken when you pulled on a string run through the top of the cup.

“They’re house broke, hypoallergenic and they don’t bite,” laughed entrepreneur Debbie Tamez of Amber who was down to her last two chicks, already having sold about 40 of the whimsical items. “But they don’t lay eggs either.”

Back at the festival for the fourth year was Rick Newton, “just like the fig,” owner of Pepper Belly’s, Inc., who specializes in spicy salsas, jellies, relish and hot sauces.

Formerly in the grocery business for 30 years, Newton took an early retirement package and went into business for himself eight years ago. Today, he makes and sells 44 different products in local fairs such as the watermelon fest.

Hailing from Pilot Point, Texas, Newton took top honors at the North Texas State Fair winning the “Overall Best of Show” in a commercial exhibit for his tasty condiments.

Finally, if that weren’t enough to keep the family entertained, there was also a carnival, featuring rides like the Merry-go-round and Ferris Wheel for the faint of heart, as well as more challenging rides like the Zipper, the Tilt-A-Whirl and the Trabant, a round, pink ride that tilts up into the air and down again as it spins at tremendous speeds.

Unfortunately one young man may not have gotten to enjoy the rides, as a voice rang out loud and clear across the carnival, “Calvin, I think you’re too short!”

Better luck next year, Calvin.

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