Watermelon Festival

Watermelon Festival

by Marilyn Mackenzie

When I was a Regional Sales Director for Christmas Around the World/House of Lloyd in Florida, I used to seek out festivals and celebrations where we could set up a display of our merchandise to recruit sales reps (demonstrators) and book parties.  Of particular interest were events in parts of Florida where there were few demonstrators already. 

One event that quickly became a favorite was the Watermelon Festival in Newberry, Florida.  The organizers were helpful, the prices for displaying were reasonable, and the crowds were always cheerful and interested in whatever vendors were showing.

Then I quit working for CATW/HOL after 9 years, and we moved from the Gulf Coast of Florida to Central Florida. 

We were home schooling at the time, and like most home schoolers, we sought ways to earn extra income while not taking away from our school activities.  I started a newsletter about being frugal (I'm not revealing the name here because I have plans to resurrect it one day) and my son had a page of his own about frugal kids ideas.  I had my own gift basket company.  And the three of us - my ex, my son and I, all worked at various craft activities.  (Well, mostly my son and I did that.  My ex was great about helping us load up the car, setting up our wares,  and helping at the booth - especially collecting money and talking with people.  He didnt' like taking everything that we didn't sell back home again.)

At one point, I worked for a while as the store manager for The Gift Mill - a country gift store, much like Cracker Barell (only smaller and just a local store) with a t-shirt screen printing factory in the back.  The t-shirts were designed by Peggi Goff and had either whimsical sayings on them or were of the puff ink designs.

Working full time didn't work out with our home schooling schedule.  My ex would get tied up in his own projects and forget that he was supposed to be supervising our son's school work.  So, I started working part time at Bok Tower Garden's Gift Shop.

When the Watermelon Festival information packet came that year, I knew we would have to go, even though I was no longer recuirting sales reps.  Instead, we decided to do a bunch of crafts with watermelon designs. 

I had a few baskets that were red and green and had black watermelon seeds on the insides.  We made cards and stationery.  We contacted The Gift Mill about selling some of their watermelon t-shirts while we were there.  And we had some Bok Tower Garden gift store books - books about local history and local plants, including watermelons.

My son was about ten at the time, and he did a great job of designing some of his own watermelon themed items to sell.  And wouldn't you know - because he was cute and smart and a wonderful salesman, his items sold out first at the festival.  He was then able to take his money and have fun on rides and eating yummy foods.

I don't have much left of the items my son made for the festival - just a few pins (jewelry).  Oh, yes, I do also have this awesome planter painted like a watermelon.  But he made me pay him for it. 

Craft sales are difficult, but they were a learning experience for my son.  And that's what home schooling is all about.  We visited various places in Florida - very educational.  We made crafts and priced them so they would sell but give us enough profit to make it worthwhile.  And we usually came away with about $300 profit for a fun weekend.  Who can beat that?

Below is something I bought at the last Watermelon Festival we attended in Newberry, Florida.  It's a wood etching picture of an elephant.  (And those who know me know I collect elephants.)  What was so great about this elephant was that the designer was in a wheelchair and also traveled to local crafts fairs adding to his disability income.  His name was Scotty.  I wish I could find him again, because I always wanted to help him market his pictures.