McDade Watermelon Festival

09/20/2026

09/20/2026

🍉❤️ A HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO OUR 2026 SPONSORS! ❤️🍉

Last night, the McDade Watermelon Festival Association had the privilege of gathering with many of our wonderful sponsors for a special Sponsor Appreciation Dinner. It was an absolutely wonderful evening, and we are so grateful to everyone who took the time to join us!

We were honored to celebrate together in the beautiful Historic Ballroom in Downtown McDade, graciously provided by the McDade Historical Society.

The evening began with a time of fellowship, music, drinks, and a fun candy bar before guests enjoyed a delicious dinner. 🥂🍬🍽️

A huge thank you to the McDade FFA and 4-H members, who did an amazing job serving our guests throughout the evening! Your help made the night extra special. ❤️

Following dinner, Emily Kylberg, Festival Chair, gave a short presentation thanking our sponsors and highlighting something that means so much to all of us: your support allows the McDade Watermelon Festival to give back to our community.

Because of the generosity of our sponsors, we are able to provide scholarships and grants to local students, teachers, and organizations. Your investment in the festival is truly an investment in the McDade community and the people who call it home. 🍉❤️

And, of course, no appreciation dinner would be complete without a few surprises! 🎁 Numerous door prizes were given away throughout the evening, with some special ones from local businesses including Rising Sun Vineyard, Yegua Creek Brewery, and McDade Antiques & Marketplace.

We are incredibly thankful to everyone who attended and shared the evening with us. We hope to see even more of our sponsors next year as we look forward to growing this event and, hopefully, expanding it to include our auction buyers as well!

We appreciate each and every one of you. Thank you for believing in the McDade Watermelon Festival, supporting our community, and helping us continue this special tradition. We truly enjoyed spending the evening with you! ❤️

👏 A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR 2026 SPONSORS! 👏

🍉 Tumlinson Electric
🍉 UA Local 286 Plumbers & Pipefitters
🍉 Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative
🍉 First National Bank
🍉 Covert Ford Hutto
🍉 Covert Chevy Hutto
🍉 Tito's Handmade Vodka
🍉 Elgin Breeding Service, Inc.
🍉 Acme Brick Company
🍉 Johns Plumbing Company
🍉 Darling Ingredients Inc.
🍉 Edward Jones – Jay Sutton
🍉 WBS International
🍉 Dirt Merchants
🍉 McDade ISD
🍉 Lone Star Mulch & Compost
🍉 Capital Farm Credit – Taylor
🍉 Direct Propane Services
🍉 Prosperity Bank
🍉 MOC Products Company, Inc.
🍉 Paige Tractors Inc.
🍉 Pallet Systems & Recycling Co.
🍉 AQUA WSC
🍉 Providence-Jones Family Funeral Home
🍉 Bare Bottom Signs
🍉 The Kylberg Family
🍉 Forrest & Alice McDavid
🍉 McDade Historical Society
🍉 Ledesma Lawncare – Ramsey Ledesma
🍉 Faith Lutheran Church
🍉 McDade Baptist Church
🍉 McDade Food Pantry
🍉 Aaron & Raine Griffith
🍉 Ortega/Diaz Family

❤️ From the bottom of our hearts—THANK YOU!

Your generosity, partnership, and commitment to our community are what help make the McDade Watermelon Festival possible year after year. We truly couldn't do it without you!

📣 WANT TO BE PART OF THE 2027 FESTIVAL?

We'd love to welcome new sponsors to our festival family! If you're interested in becoming a 2027 sponsor, send us a Facebook message to learn more about sponsorship opportunities.

🍉 McDade Watermelon Festival
Celebrating community, supporting our future, and keeping a Texas tradition growing!

09/03/2026

🍉 Just a reminder! 🍉

Anyone who is planning to turn in a grant request for the Watermelon Festival needs to have their request postmarked by September 14th.

We look forward to supporting and giving back to our community as much as we can! 💚🍉 Thank you to everyone who helps make our community such a special place!

07/14/2026

🍉❤️ A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING McDade Watermelon Festival Sponsors! ❤️🍉

There simply aren't enough words to express how grateful we are for each and every business, organization, family, and individual who helped make the 2026 McDade Watermelon Festival a tremendous success!

Whether you have supported our festival for many years or joined us as a new sponsor this year, THANK YOU for believing in our community and helping keep this cherished tradition alive.

Our sponsors do so much more than support a festival—they invest in the people of McDade. Because of your generosity, we're able to continue a tradition that brings thousands of people together while raising funds that provide scholarships for local students and support community programs throughout the greater McDade area.

💚 Festival Friends... We Need Your Help!

The next time you need a product or service, please consider supporting the businesses that support our community. Shop with them, do business with them, recommend them to your friends, and when you do, let them know you appreciate everything they do for the McDade Watermelon Festival. Their generosity is what makes this event possible year after year.

👏 A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR 2026 SPONSORS! 👏

🍉 Tumlinson Electric
🍉 UA Local 286 Plumbers & Pipefitters
🍉 Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative
🍉 First National Bank
🍉 Covert Ford Hutto
🍉 Covert Chevy Hutto
🍉 Tito's Handmade Vodka
🍉 Elgin Breeding Service, Inc.
🍉 Acme Brick Company
🍉 Johns Plumbing Company
🍉 Darling Ingredients Inc.
🍉 Edward Jones – Jay Sutton
🍉 WBS International
🍉 Dirt Merchants
🍉 McDade ISD
🍉 Lone Star Mulch & Compost
🍉 Capital Farm Credit – Taylor
🍉 Direct Propane Services
🍉 Prosperity Bank
🍉 MOC Products Company, Inc.
🍉 Paige Tractors Inc.
🍉 Pallet Systems & Recycling Co.
🍉 AQUA WSC
🍉 Providence-Jones Family Funeral Home 
🍉 The Kylberg Family
🍉 Forrest & Alice McDavid
🍉 McDade Historical Society
🍉 Ledesma Lawncare - Ramsey Ledesma
🍉 Faith Lutheran Church
🍉 McDade Baptist Church
🍉 McDade Food Pantry
🍉 Aaron & Raine Griffith
🍉 Ortega/Diaz Family

❤️ From the bottom of our hearts—THANK YOU for your generosity, your partnership, and your commitment to our community. We truly couldn't make the McDade Watermelon Festival happen without you!

📣 Interested in becoming a sponsor for next year's festival? We'd love to have you join our festival family! Send us a Facebook message to learn about sponsorship opportunities for 2027.

🍉 THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERY ONE OF OUR SPONSORS! Your support is creating opportunities for local students, strengthening community programs, and ensuring that this beloved tradition continues for generations to come. We are forever grateful!

07/13/2026

Thank you from our Barbecue Cookoff Team!!!

07/13/2026

Special Thanks to the Supporters of the 2026 McDade Watermelon Auction. The auction raised over $44,0000 to be used towards scholarships and grants. Auctioneer Jack Prentiss – Jack of Hearts.

Grand Champion Melon 138.7 lbs. - Grown by Larry Neidig.
Purchased by Frontier Bank & Giddings Livestock Commission for $4,100. Resold multiple times to HNL Lumber Giddings, Elgin General Store, Smart Docks & Decks, Sharp Electric, Owen & Bogart – Lawyers and McCrary Insurance Germania totaling $5,600.

Reserve Champion Melon 117.2 lbs. - Grown by Jody Smart & Sherri Neidig – Neidig Ranch. Purchased by Lacy & Seth Jewell for $2,000. Resold to Frontier Bank for $1,000. Resold to Lexington Livestock for $1,000

3rd Place Melon 108.9 lbs. - Grown by Greg Holman - Neidig Ranch.
Purchased by Kase Jones - In Memory of Christine Jones for $1,000. Resold to Elgin Fertilizer for $1,000. Resold to Giddings Nursery & Garden Center for $500

2026 Other Buyers
Baseline Logistics, Brandon Brade, Brannen's Inc, Carmine Feed & Fertilizer, Cayton Ranch, Commissioner David Glass, Cutters Landscaping, Danna & Scott Rother – “In memory of Dan Wolf”, Elgin AC & Heating, Eyeball Drywall, Garrett Taylor, Gloria & Danny Maass, Ideal Poultry Breeding Farms, Jeanne & Melvin Dube, Johnson Waterline Services, Kelly Koenning - Jeannette Shelby Realty, Kim & Chris Wolf, KRL Construction, Larry Neidig - Neidig Ranch, Loretta & Oscar Dube, Maass Grandkids, Mandi & Jeff Brown and Sandy Brown, Maness Ventures, Marions Service Center - Giddings, Mark Dube, Michael Dube, Mimi & Johnny Klemm – “In memory of Suzanne Mogoyne” and “In memory of Laurie Wolf”, Morris & Vernell Kastner, MW Insurance - Lexington, PR Clowns, Providence - Jones Family Funeral Home, Rey Ramirez, Schroeder Farms, Shawn Bostic, Shoppa's Farm Supply, Tammy & Clint Dube – Parade Marshals, Whitney & Bubba Stephens, Wolf Farms and Cody Wolf – “In memory of Evelyn Wolf”

07/10/2026

Are you ready!!!!!!!!

07/08/2026

Come for the watermelon, stay for the memories! Join us July 11th for a day full of free watermelon festivities. 🍉