Why This Southern City Claims The Title Of 'Watermelon Capital Of The World'

There's nothing like that first crack when cutting into a juicy watermelon, as the knife pierces the crisp rind and we know that summer has officially arrived. We can think of at least 17 ways to eat watermelon, so it's pretty clear how beloved these fruits are to all of us. In fact, we love them so much that there's even a designated "Watermelon Capital of the World," where there are more watermelons than people when it comes time to harvest them.

Cordele, Georgia, is about 150 miles south of Atlanta, with thousands of acres dedicated to farming watermelons. They're everywhere in this town, mostly seedless red ones (yum) from the beginning of June through August, when they are harvested and hauled off. That's when you'll see big cardboard bins of watermelons for sale on the side of the road or outside the doors of your favorite grocery store. If you've never selected a fresh one for yourself, here are a few tricks for picking out the best watermelon every time.

Cordele is part of a county called Crisp (of course it is), and this section of Georgia grows over 200 million pounds of watermelons a year. Being a part of that is a big feat for a town of less than 10,000 people, and it's one reason that Cordele is called the "Watermelon Capital of the World". But there's a bit more to the story, as Cordele produces some of the best watermelons around for good reason. Also, they know how to throw a really good party.

Everyone in Cordele will tell you that their watermelons are the crispest, the sweetest, and the juiciest — and they're not wrong. The sandy soil and seriously sunny summers in south central Georgia produce melons that are deeply flavorful.  It's a good reason to claim a title, but there's also Cordele's Watermelon Days Festival, the feel good hit of this small town's summer. It's the oldest festival in Georgia, and has been filling up the streets with watermelon revelers since 1949. 

In addition to a big parade, there's dancing and singing, a watermelon eating contest, and even a watermelon seed spitting contest. Local chefs dish up everything watermelon, and the Cordele State Farmers Market stays open from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. during watermelon season, as it's the Southeastern hub for commercial watermelon exports. Just thinking about all the ways this town celebrates its accomplishments makes us crave some watermelon lemonade, because being a big part of Georgia's number one produce crop is pretty sweet.

As if the farmers market being open until almost midnight selling watermelons is not enough to clinch the title of "Watermelon Capital of the World," Cordele does float one more theory about why the title is theirs. There are many watermelon growers in the southern parts of the U.S., and they all grow great melons. But according to Visit Cordele, the city's title was challenged by the cities of Hope, Arkansas, and Hempstead, Texas in the '90s. The local legend goes that Cordele scorched the competition in flavor and that was that.