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Sweet slices of summer handed out on Rehoboth Boardwalk

Mar-Del Watermelon Association hosts annual celebration of National Watermelon Day
Watermelon queens hand out slices of watermelon on the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk Aug. 2. Mar-Del Watermelon Association Queen Brielle Carter joins in on the fun. CHRIS FLOOD PHOTOS
Chris Flood
August 2, 2023

Story Location:
Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
United States

In honor of National Watermelon Day, representatives from the Mar-Del Watermelon Association and the National Watermelon Association handed out freshly cut slices of watermelon Aug. 2 on the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk. National Watermelon Day is Thursday, Aug. 3.

Three watermelon queens – National Watermelon Queen Olivia Johnson, Mar-Del Watermelon Association Queen Brielle Carter and South Carolina Watermelon Queen Ansley Grace-Still – donned their tiaras, pageant sashes and appropriately themed accessories to hand out a few dozen watermelons that had been cut into easy-to-eat triangles. The weather wasn’t as hot as it hsa been in the past for the annual event, but the sun was out, bringing people to the Boardwalk early. There was a line of people waiting to eat the watermelon as soon as it was cut.

Missed this year’s giveaway? National Watermelon Day 2024 is Saturday, Aug. 3, which means the queens will be on the Boardwalk somewhere near that date.

For more information on the Mar-Del Watermelon Association, go to mardelwatermelon.org.

 

National Watermelon Queen Olivia Johnson came from Texas to hand out watermelon.
Visiting from Lancaster, Pa., and enjoying some watermelon are Eileen Donaldson, left, and Barb Bradley.
In between waves, the queens find time for a group photo. Shown are (l-r) Mar-Del Watermelon Association Queen Brielle Carter, National Watermelon Queen Olivia Johnson and South Carolina Watermelon Queen Ansley Grace-Still.
The necklace of National Watermelon Queen Olivia Johnson.
This is the third year in a row Bo Gibson made the trip from Florida to be with his mom in Rehoboth. He’s always dressed for the occasion.
The queens hand out watermelon, but they don’t slice it themselves. Shown are (l-r) Mar-Del Watermelon Association Promotion Coordinator Terra Eby, NWA Queen Co-Coordinator Kerri Wiggins and NWA member Kel Gibson.
Bright red watermelon Frisbees.
Dressed in bright green, South Carolina Watermelon Queen Ansley Grace-Still hands out watermelon.
The queens and their crew handed out slices for four hours, so they needed a few dozen watermelons.
Kel Gibson’s watermelon earrings were eye-catching.

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Chris Flood has been working for the Cape Gazette since early 2014. He currently covers Rehoboth Beach and Henlopen Acres, but has also covered Dewey Beach and the state government. He covers environmental stories, business stories and random stories on subjects he finds interesting, and he also writes a column called Choppin’ Wood that runs every other week. He’s a graduate of the University of Maine and the Landing School of Boat Building & Design.

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