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MCDADE – The Mc-Dade Watermelon Festival held its 75th annual Queens Revue this past week, naming the celebration’s three new representatives for the upcoming year.
Set to be crowned festival day, July 8, the queens will represent McDade in parades and events across central Texas.
Elected as Tiny-tot Queen is Rosa Maria Dube, daughter of Elizabeth and Dominique Dube, and youngest of the bunch. Named Junior Miss Queen is Karlie Griffith, daughter of Sarah Griffith, and Teenage Queen is Kelsey Dube, daughter of Jed and Kathy Dube.
Queens will receive scholarship benefits, as is tradition for the event. 75 years ago, the inaugural McDade Watermelon Festival was held to raise money for furniture and school construction. To this day, all funds raised during the event are funneled back into the community via scholarships for graduating seniors, grants for teachers and other non-profit youth organizations.
The 75th incarnation of the celebration will host a watermelon feast, alongside vendors, games, live music and competitions. Highlights include a BBQ cookoff, watermelon eating and attire contest, seed spitting contest, riding mower rodeo, car show and of course – the presentation of McDade’s new queens.
Accompanying the queens will be new parade marshals Jed and Kathy Dube, whose roots in McDade date as far back as 1857.
Enjoy all that the free festival has to offer July 8, starting at 6:30 a.m. with a 5K run, located at 143 Bastrop Street.
