JEFFERSON COUNTY, FL — More than 10,000 people attended the 75th annual Watermelon Festival in Monticello, giving local businesses a welcome boost and making it one of Jefferson County's largest tourism weekends of the year.
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:
Despite heavy rain forcing last-minute adjustments on Friday, downtown Monticello was packed by Saturday. Thousands made the trip from across the region for the parade, live music, local shops and watermelon games.
CowHaus Coffee Shop owner Ashley Cowen said her store was busy from the moment she opened her doors.
"Every year it grows. We beat last year thanks to all of the amazing people that came by…and the parade was one of the longest parades in 75 years. We had over 140 entries," she said.
Saturday wrapped up the two-day celebration, and organizers say they're already looking ahead to year 76.
Chamber leaders say final economic impact numbers are still being tallied, but they say the festival brought a significant economic boost to Monticello.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.
Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.
