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MCDADE — Rain or shine, McDade will bring out its watermelons, festival president Emily Kylberg said.
The 77th Annual McDade Watermelon Festival carried on Saturday, July 12, with strong turnout and enthusiastic participation despite stormy skies and a brief downpour.
“It was a little bit wetter than normal, but it was a good year for our 77th year,” Kylberg said. “Our auction did really well. We raised more than $39,000 that all goes back into the community.”
Rain forced some last-minute adjustments but didn’t dampen the spirit of attendees, according to Kylberg. The festival drew record participation in its barbecue cookoff with 52 entrants — up 20 from last year — and more than 60 entries in the parade.
“Our attendance was the same as usual, but the party had to end a little early because of the rain,” Kylberg said. “We decided that we were going to have some ocean front property in McDade.”
Sponsor Lone Star Mulch & Compost delivered a truckload of mulch to help stabilize soggy ground, a contribution Kylberg said made a noticeable difference.
She noted that while the cornhole tournament couldn’t finish all its matches, most traditions — including the watermelon eating, seed spitting and attire contests — went forward. Live performances by Sean Orr & the Texas Gold Band and Andy Roust & the Texas Wonders provided entertainment throughout the day.
“We’ve grown by the number of free events that we offer, such as the cookoff, to give back to the community,” Kylberg said. “We have lots of events for people to enjoy the festival.”
Kylberg, whose family has generations deeply rooted in festival history, is nearing the end of her two-year term as president and said she aims to grow the event in 2026.
“I think we’re going to try and improve the festival overall by adding new events and keeping it as family-oriented as possible,” Kylberg said.
The Watermelon Festival began in 1948 to raise funds for a new school building after a town fire in 1940. Aside from a pause in 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic, the event has remained an annual tradition supporting McDade ISD, local churches and area businesses.
