As the dog days of the Texas summer set in, there’s nothing quite like sinking your teeth into a juicy, refreshing slice of watermelon. So tempting is the thought, that every June tens of thousands of individuals travel from across the country and even Europe and Asia to the small town of Luling, Texas, to get a firsthand taste of locally grown, mouth-watering watermelons during the annual Luling Watermelon Thump.

Started in 1954 by Luling Elementary School Principal Hermon Allen, the Thump was proposed to pay tribute to local farmers and promote Luling’s successful watermelon market. The term “thump” refers to a method used to determine a watermelon’s ripeness. Thump experts claim that watermelons that are ready to eat will make a “thump” sound in b-flat. For the musically challenged, other methods of determining whether a watermelon is ripe enough to eat are as follows: 1) Look it over; choose a firm, symmetrical watermelon that is free of bruises, cuts and dents. 2) Lift it up; the watermelon should feel heavy for its size – it is 92% water. 3) Turn it over; on the underside of the watermelon there should be a creamy, yellow spot (called the ground spot) from where it sat on the ground and ripened in the sun.

Today, an average of 40,000 visitors attend the festival each year. Watermelon-related contests range from speed-eating, carving, and the world-famous seed-spitting contest. Prizes are also awarded for the largest watermelons. In 2005, local grower E.A. Watts broke his father’s 1962 record for an 80.8 pound Black Diamond watermelon, with his own watermelon weighing in at 81 pounds. The champion watermelons are often shipped to celebrities, including Johnny Carson, who received the 1972 winning watermelon, and President Ronald Reagan, who was presented with the 1981 champion.

While the Black Diamond is the only variety that can be entered to win the championship, the most common variety of watermelon in Luling is the Jubilee – a bright green, striped watermelon with dark red meat. In addition to Black Diamonds and Jubilees, visitors can also sample locally grown Royal Sweets and Yellow Dollys.

Perhaps the most famous contest at the annual Thump is the World Championship Speed-Spitting Contest, which draws competitive individuals looking to break Luling resident Lee Wheelis’ 1989 Guinness World Record spit of 68 feet, 9 1/8 inches. The Thump Association’s official rules for the contest are: 1) ammo must be harvested from the official Black Diamond melon, which is split on the premises; 2) each participant gets two chances on the "spitway," a 75- by 15-foot painted strip; and 3) the seed spit farthest wins. Cash prizes are awarded and spectators are cautioned not to stand too close.

The festival boasts a Thump Queen, crowned each year, who presides over the Watermelon Thump Parade. In addition to the contests and parade, visitors can enjoy numerous food and drink booths, live musical entertainment, children’s entertainment, an exhibitors’ market, and auctions of prize watermelons. This year’s 57^th Annual Luling Watermelon Thump will take place June 24-27. For more information, visit: http://www.watermelonthump.com.

Sources: Thump Association; Texas Monthly; Texas Travel Industry Association