Sunday, Aug. 31, 2008

Turlock revives Melon Carnival

Turlock is going retro on Labor Day, celebrating the 100-year anniversary of its incorporation by reviving the Melon Carnival.

The event was launched in 1911 as a nod to the city's booming melon industry -- mainly watermelons and cantaloupes that were shipped around the country. The name carried into the 1930s and the event morphed into the Stanislaus County Fair in 1956.

Monday's free event will stay true to history, with a Kiddie Kaper parade at noon led by a team of horses and the crowning of a Melon Queen at the Stanislaus County Fairground. People can compete in a watermelon-rolling contest and buy produce from area farmers.

"We want to kind of relive the Melon Carnival of 1911," said event chairman Ray Souza. "It should be entertaining, but it should be educational as well."

The carnival will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and include themed exhibits, displays, games, children's activities, music, food and historic re-enactments.

There will be two showings of the 85-minute documentary produced for the city's centennial, "Turlock: A Historical Documentary," at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.