WINTERVILLE — Downtown Winterville will be bustling today through Saturday with its annual Watermelon Festival.
Food and commercial vendors, amusement rides and concerts start at 6 p.m. today with Wrist Band Night, when patrons can pay $20 and ride amusements until closing. Free concerts in the park will feature The Katy Perry Tribute Band, Firework, at 6:30 p.m. and the Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Band, Who's Bad, at 8:30 p.m.
Friday will offer Family Fun Night, with Bingo from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Winterville Ruritan Building; another Wrist Band Night of $20 for all you can ride from 6 to 11 p.m.; fun and games from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for ages 7 and younger, 8 to 10, and 11 to 13; free concerts in the park featuring Blue Soul Redemption at 6:30 p.m. and Trial by Fire, Tribute to Journey, at 8:30 p.m.
Saturday's events will begin at 8 a.m., including crafts, a flea market, Winterville Historical Society Open House, watermelon eating contest, line dancers, martial arts, local singers and a slamming free wrap up concert.
From the tiny Martin County town of Parmele that’s home to a gas station, two blinking yellow lights, and a small tin-roofed barn dubbed Studio B, country rockers Parmalee launched their journey to Nashville, Tenn. The near-fatal robbery the band experienced after a September 2010 show in Greenville didn’t stop them, even when member Scott Thomas was shot three times and hospitalized in Charlotte for 35 days (10 of them in a coma).
It was February 2011 before he was well enough to get behind a drum kit.
Now, country fans have voted the band’s debut single, “Musta Had a Good Time,” No. 1 for four consecutive weeks on SiriusXM’s “The Highway,” and the song is a Top 40 hit on mainstream country radio. The fun-loving party anthem has been featured in national sporting event broadcasts from the PGA to Major League Baseball.
The Saturday Watermelon Jam will present The Johnny Orr Band at 6 p.m., Parmalee at 7:30 p.m. and Jason Michael Carroll at 9 p.m.
For a complete schedule, go to watermelonfest.com.
Watermelon Festival
Today-Saturday
Downtown Winterville
Today: Tribute Thursday, 6 to 10 p.m.
6:30 p.m., Firework, Katy Perry Tribute; 8:30 p.m., Who's Bad, Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute
Vendors, amusement rides
Friday: Family Fun Night, 5 to 11 p.m.
6:30 p.m., Blue Soul Redemption; 8:30 p.m., Trial by Fire
Kids Zone activities, Amphitheater Stage
Saturday: Watermelon Jam, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
8 a.m., craft show, flea market, vendors, Veterans Breakfast
10 a.m., parade, car show
11 a.m., amusement rides open
Noon, free events begin on Amphitheater Stage throughout afternoon
6 to 9 p.m., Watermelon Jam concert with Jason Michael Carroll, Parmalee, The Johnny Orr Band
All events free
For info, go to watermelonfest.com