22nd Annual California Watermelon Festival Returns In June

A southland tradition, the 22nd edition of The California Watermelon Festival offers "a sweet slice of California" and celebrates the beginning of summer with a vibrant California harvest.

The California Watermelon Festival will take place on Saturday June 22 & Sunday June 23, 2024, from 10 am to 10 pm at Hansen Dam Recreation Area. Buy tickets online and skip the line at the gate!

The California Watermelon Festival has recently undergone major expansion in both size and variety. This year's festival will feature all-you-can-eat watermelon (over 100,000 pounds of watermelon purchased for the event) for all attendees, unique and gastronomically adventurous watermelon-inspired dishes, a kids zone with a petting zoo and other kid-friendly activities, live bands and DJs, a carnival section, arts & crafts, and everything watermelon from watermelon costume contests to watermelon carving. There will also be watermelon flavored cocktails to pair with your favorite southern California summer meals. The list of participating vendors will soon be unveiled.

"The festival's creative team has brought memorable experiences that no other festival has attempted, including live graffiti art, involvement of experimental chefs creating unique watermelon dishes, plus rides & games and arts & crafts that rival other local summer fairs and festivals," comments Edward Campos, Festival Owner. "However, the tradition of serving free watermelon (all-you-can-eat watermelon) will always be the staple of the festival."

About the California Watermelon Festival:

The California Watermelon Festival started in the early 1960s in Sunland-Tujunga Park, CA. At that time, it was called the Lions Club Sunland-Tujunga Watermelon Festival. It was hosted at Sunland-Tujunga Park until the park became too small for the event. Eventually, management moved it to the Pasadena Rose Bowl for one year and Santa Anita Park for another year. Ultimately, the event was relocated to Hansen Dam Soccer Fields, which offers a cooler and more centralized location accessible from Antelope Valley, San Fernando Valley, and Los Angeles County. After the festival's move to Hansen Dam Soccer Fields, the festival was renamed the California Watermelon Festival.

The objective of the California Watermelon Festival is to create a fun, family-friendly two-day celebration of watermelon with food, games, and visuals. The festival's watermelon is the sweetest you'll ever taste. Festival staff carefully work with a watermelon grower and select the land to start growing watermelons just in time for the festival. Once the watermelon is ripe, it's cleaned, refrigerated, and transported within 3 days to the festival, where the watermelons are washed, sanitized, cut, and served by the Mission College Culinary department.

The 22nd Annual California Watermelon Festival would like to thank its sponsors: Tajin, Hamer Toyota California Ford, San Fernando Realty, Imagination Works Graphics and Printing, T Mobil, Gus Fried Chicken Los Tóxicos Mariscos & Party City.

Tickets and More Information

The California Watermelon Festival will be held at the Hansen Dam Recreation Area Soccer Complex, 11400 Foothill Blvd, Sylmar, CA 91342. Parking onsite is $10, card only. Parking tickets can also be purchased in advance at the Watermelon Festival website.

Tickets: Adult tickets are required for attendees ages 12 and older. Child tickets are required for attendees ages 3-11. Free attendance for kids under 3. Must be 21 or over to purchase beer or wine. ID must be shown.

Tickets give attendees entry into the festival and all-you-can-eat watermelon plus: Live Music -The Moontones, Modulo, Hot Rod Trio, Dreaming of You, Past Action Heroes, La Nueva Ola de Cumbia (Top 40s, 80s, rockabilly, rock en español, cumbia, swing, rockabilly)
Instagram, Watermelon, props, Kids Theater, Watermelon eating contest, Watermelon costume contest, and Kids bubble party, Car show, Arts & crafts vendors.

Want more than watermelon? There will be additional food vendors offering a bounty of flavors to eat and drink. Please note: Food booths are cash only unless otherwise indicated. ATMs will be available on-site.

Dogs (except certified service dogs), bicycles, rollerblades, tables, boom boxes, chairs and ice chests/coolers are NOT permitted on festival grounds. In compliance with the Los Angeles County Health Department, non-Festival food & drinks are not permitted within the festival grounds. The festival is also a smoke-free environment. The California Watermelon Festival is not responsible for lost or stolen items but will maintain a lost and found at the information booth near the entrance.

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