The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 139, No. 39, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 16, 1992 Page: 3 of 24
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Thursday, July 16,1992
THE BASTROP ADVERTISER
Page3
Watermelon was king at 44th festival
McDade sparkled with food and fun
By Ellon Moore
Staff Writer
It was a grand day for an old-
fashioned festival and the 44th an-
nual McDade Watermelon
Festival fit the bill on all accounts
Saturday. Over 600 plates of
barbeque were sold, over 1,400
lively-footed people stepped out to
the music at the street dance
Saturday night, crowds lined the
street for the big parade where
over 50 floats were entered from
the whole Central Texas area, and
the watermelon was king.
Watermelons were the theme of
much of the jewelry and arts and
crafts at' the many booths,
watermelon was eaten by the
hungry crowd, and watermelons
were auctioned off Saturday, with
the largest bringing a record-
breaking amount of
money-$l,600.
“Enthusiasm was high,” an-
nounced McDade Watermelon
Festival president Wayne
Skubiata. “We want to brag on all
who helped. Someone was always
there to step in when someone
was needed and everything work-
ed,” he said following the event.
The crowd was estimated at
“between 3 and 4,000” throughout
the day by Skubiata. “I know we
sold 2200 drinks and there were
people everywhere enjoying all
the different activities,” he add-
ed. “The barbeque dinner sold
out and when we gave out the free
watermelon, it went fast. I mean
it went.”
There was a baseball tourna-
ment, organized by John Burns.
There was a volleyball tourna-
ment, organized by Scott and
Danna Rother, that ran
throughout the day and was won
by an Austin team. There was a
seed-spitting contest, bingo, arts
and crafts, organized by Laurey
Fox, with “50 to 60” booths, and
there was a country walk,
organized by Margaret Strong.
The parade, as always was a
big success with floats coming in
from all over Central Texas. Win-
ners this year, as annouced by
Donna Howell were as follows:
Out of Town
lst-Elgin Chamber of Commerce
2nd-Gonzales Chamber of
Commerce
3rd-Fayette County Country Fair
Association
Best all-around
Moulton Chamber of Commerce
Most Original
lst-Elgin Hogeye Festival
2nd--Prize Melons of McDade
Most Beautiful
lst-Ellinger Chamber of
Commerce
2nd-McDade Watermelon
Festival
Best Local Entry
Ist-McDade PTI
2nd-McDade Baptist Church
3rd--Star Ranch
Best Decorated Car
lst-Travis County Council VFW
2nd-McDade Ladies
Homemakers Club
Best Antique Car
1st—I&E Manufacturing and
Machine
2nd-Elgin Bank
3rd-Kastner Kids Brahman
Ranch
Best Vintage Car
lst-WO Schindler
2nd--Louis Knipstein
3rd--DAV Chapter 225 .
Best-Dressed Rider
lst-Rose Small
2nd-James Moore
Best Mounted Riding Group
lst-Ttexas Lost Pines Riding Club
2nd-Bastrop Family Rodeo
Honorable Mention
lst-Giddings Sons of Hermann
Lodge 54
2nd-Paige Sons of Hermann
Youth
3rd--l99l McDade Queen’s
Traveled Greatest Distance
Gonzales Chamber of Commerce
Following the parade the crowd
scattered out to take in other
events. The watermelon seed spit-
ting contest is always a popular
event and this year the con-
testants were divided into two age
groups-8-year-olds and children
9-14.
In the 8-year-old division, first
place was won by Zachary
Skubiata with a spit of 17’6”. Se-
cond place went to Jillian
Blackwell, 15’7” and third place
was won by Andrew Schubert,
10’2”.
In the 7-14 age group, Rusty
Grimmer won first with a spit of
25’7”, Brian Farris took second
with 25’31/>”, and third went to
Dempsey Dunkin with a spit of
22’8”.
The sponsor of this event was
the City Cafe, Elgin.
John Burns, who ran the two-
day softball tournament, said ll
teams turned out. The tourna-
ment was eventually won by BLT
(Bobby Lehman Trucking) of
Giddings. T-shirts and the trophy
were sponsored by T-N-P
Grocery.
“BLT played back-to-back
games Sunday from 2 until 7:20
p.m. to win that trophy," Burns
said.
Second place went to TAR Cut-
ters of Bastrop. Their shirts and
trophy was sponsored by Seig-
mund General Store.
Third place went to Tbp Cats
from Elgin. The trophy was spon-
sored by Tiny Tot Queen (Rick
Kellison). And fourth place went
to Summers Electric of Austin.
Their trophy was sponsored by
Winning Heart Farms of
McDade.
The Saturday afternoon eight-
team volleyball tournament was
organized by Scott and Danna
Rother this year and was won by
an Austin team-BS&S. Second
place went to Mama’s Family, the
Johnson family of McDade. “We
had a limit of eight teams, so
everything went smooth and it
was a lot of fun,” Danna said. “We
had three teams from McDade,
one from Austin and four from
Elgin so it was sort of a local
deal.”
The big excitement of the day
was the Watermelon Auction
under the expert voice of auc-
tioneer J.R. Howard.
This year the event was
organized by Melvin Dube who
said the winning 89-pound melon
brought a record-breaking $1,600.
It was grown by Andrew Owen,
who grew the top three melons,
and was bought by H.E.B.
Bastrop.
The second place melon,
weighing 80 plus pounds, was
bought by Bastrop County sheriff
elect Fred- Hoskins and Dr.
Charles Graham for $400, and the
third place melon was bought by
Edward R. Mueller of McDade
and Homer Monson of McDade-
for $480. They donated the melon
back and it was bought by Fenske
Gravel for $300.
The fourth place melon was
bought by Bastrop County Com-
missioners Johnny Sanders,
Elaine Seidel and Lee Dildy for
$275. They donated it back aftd
Warren Seigmund bought it for
$200.
Other melons were bought by
the following: Elgin Funeral
•Home, $220; Abel Electric, $200;
Seigmunds General Store, $200;
First National Bank, Bastrop,
$250; Trail Drivers Association of
CcmgratiUmiom
A 1992
Award-Winning Newspaper
We' congratulate your newspaper on its achievement
in the 1992 Texas Better Newspaper Contest.
Competing with other state newspapers in a
year-long and difficult contest, your newspaper
was judged an award-winning newspaper.
CONDUCTED BY
r
TEXAS PRESS
■ I ASSOCIATIONJ
This emblem, displayed with pride, signi-
fies your newspaper was judged one of the
state’s finest. This emblem is also a pledge
of continued excellence in news presenta-
tion, adherence to ethical standards, and
service to the community.
V l i l
Texas (McDade), $250; Star
Ranch, McDade, $230; Meyers
Sausage, $210; Lockhart
Livestock Auction, $135; Mogonye
Construction & Supply, $150;
Meyers Sausage, $160; Star
Ranch, $140; Dr. Gary Warner,
D.V.M. Elgin, $160; Elgin Vet
Hospital, $160; Don Grissom A
Family, $160; Callahans General
Store, $150; Don Grissom and
Family, $200; Warren Seigmund,
$160; and SR Barker Co, $110. The
refrigerated truck to store the
melons was provided by Meyers
Sausage Company, Elgin.
“As a prank someone entered
an 11 pound melon in my
brother’s name,” Melvin Dube
said with a smile. “In John Dube
Jr.’s name. It brought $150 from
Edward R. Mueller.”
There was also a cake auction
of the cake baked and donated by
Janice Terry, who was raised in
McDade but lives in Austin. It
was bought by Earl and
Marguerite Hoskins of Smithville
for $200.
The afghan donated by Thelma
and Ray McDavid of McDade
was purchased by Clyde and
Elaine Farris of McDade for $135.
The day’s activities peaked
Advertiser Photos/E. Perez Jr.
The American and Texas flags were proudly carried by horseback
riders Saturday under the bright skies at the 44th annual McDade
Watermelon Festival. Above, children wandered the school
grounds, taking in the volleyball tournament and watching
thousands from the Central Texas area enjoying food, arts and
crafts booths, a watermelon auction and more.
with the coronation of the queen throughout Texas for the upcom-
and Tiny Tot, organized by Ivy ing year.
Ann Cronin. This year’s queen, Music was provided by Frank
Lisa Thylor, was crowned and Will Mihura and his band the Country
Represent McDade at festivities Cousins.
We Thank - You...
Our Loyal Friends
& Customers.
We appreciate each & every
one of you for Bankim
us!
We are your home town Independent Bank
WORKING FOR YOU, PROVIDING
BASTROP
FINANCIAL COVERAGE
YOU CAN RANK ON
TEXAS
PROUD
___ FIRST
"1* NATIONAL
. ■ BANK OF BASTROP
| The pioneer of Bastrop County independent and home-owned
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McAuley, Davis. The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 139, No. 39, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 16, 1992, newspaper, July 16, 1992; Bastrop, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth747506/m1/3/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Bastrop Public Library.