Little Mr. Farmer Contest

Open to 4-5 year olds. Contestants will ride in the Festival Parade on Saturday, August 7 at 10:00 and the contest will follow.

Application and additional details available from Patty Hale at (252) 398-7146 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Little Ms. Farmer Contest

Open to 4-5 year olds. Contestants will ride in the Festival Parade on Saturday, August 7 at 10:00 and the contest will follow.

Application and additional details available from Patty Hale at (252) 398-7146 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

2020 & 2021 Little Princess Contests

2020: The contest for 6 year old girls who could have competed last year will be Friday, August 6, at 6:30 p.m. on the Main Stage.

2021: The contest for 5 year old girls will be Saturday, August 7, immediately following the parade.

Both groups of contestants will ride on the float in the parade at 10:00 a.m.

Download Contest Guidelines

Advance registration is required.  Download registration form here.  Registration deadline: July 30, 2021

Contestants should be rising Kindergartners for the school year beginning fall 2021.

Miss Amy Arnold was crowned as the 2019 North Carolina Watermelon Queen during the 38th Annual North Carolina Watermelon Association Convention held March 1-2, 2019 in Wrightsville Beach, NC.

Amy is the 22 year old daughter of Andrew & Melinda Arnold of Washington, NC. She is a 2019 graduate of North Carolina State University with a degree in Horticultural Science. Amy will begin work on her Masters Degree in Landscape Architecture in the College of Design at North Carolina State University in the fall of 2019.

She enjoys scuba diving, playing the violin, painting and volunteering with 4-H in her community. She also enjoys hunting and fishing. She is a member of the NCSU Agri-Life Council, Agronomy Club and serves as a student adviser to the Dean of the College of Ag and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University.

As North Carolina Watermelon Queen, Amy will travel throughout North Carolina and the United States, serving as a spokesperson for the watermelon industry. Amy will hold the state title for one year and in February 2020 will represent North Carolina for the title of National Watermelon Queen at the National Watermelon Association Convention in Orlando, Florida.

Saturday, August 7, 2021 - Rain or Shine!

Main Street Murfreesboro - 10:00 AM

Parade Entry Form Download - Due by July 30, 2021

Saturday, August 7, 2021 - 10:00AM

Race begins at 10 AM sharp. Course closes at 11 AM.

Cost is $25 before August 2, $30 on race day. Race day registration and pre-registered number pick-up begins at 8:45 AM on the lawn of Murfreesboro Baptist Church (200 W. Main St.).

Register Online

Now in its 16th year, the NC Watermelon Festival 5K has become one of the most popular summer road races in northeastern North Carolina.  Runners lead off the annual Watermelon Festival parade down Main Street in historic Murfreesboro, then wind their way through the campus of Chowan University and the lakefront residential part of town. Our 5K course is USTAF certified (NC-06024-PH).

All proceeds from the race go to support summer children's reading programs at the Elizabeth Sewell Parker Public Library in downtown Murfreesboro.

All registered 5K participants will receive an official Murfreesboro watermelon. The first 100 participants are guaranteed official race shirts. Awards will be given to overall men's and women's champions, and 1st/2nd/3rd place finishers in each age category:  14 and under, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70 and over.

Please send any questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.