The Californer - California Watermelon Festival 2025 "A Sweet Slice of California"

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Featuring watermelon dishes, live music, arts & crafts, rides & games, and a bigger, better, funner Kids Zone!

LOS ANGELES - Californer -- A southland tradition, the California Watermelon Festival offers "a sweet slice of California" and celebrates the beginning of summer with a vibrant California harvest.

The California Watermelon Festival takes place Saturday June 7 & Sunday June 8, 2025, from 10 am to 10 pm at Hansen Dam Recreation Area Soccer Fields. That's an area equal to four football fields!

Buy tickets online and skip the line at the gate! https://watermelonfest.org/

The California Watermelon Festival has recently undergone major expansion in both size and variety. This year's festival will feature, unique and gastronomically adventurous watermelon-inspired dishes, and an enhanced bigger, better, "funner" Kids Zone.

Bring the whole family and enjoy our new improved Kids Zone.

Arts & Crafts (make watermelon themed friendship bracelets)
Kids Watermelon Eating Contest
Kids Watermelon Costume Contest
Kids Bubble Show
Kids Face painting
Kids Slime
Carnival Rides
Agriculture area with...

Petting zoo
Live exotic animal show
Toy cow roping
Pony rides

Kids Got Talent Show! – Sign up here: https://watermelonfest.org/fun/kids-got-talent-registration/
Kids Zone Schedule here: https://watermelonfest.org/fun/#kids

The event will feature live bands and DJs, as well as demonstrations from graffiti artists. There will be watermelon carving stations and a car show. For social media influencers, we have a variety of signage, watermelon-themed cutouts, our fun mascot, Wedgie Watermelon, and an assortment of watermelon-themed props that will definitely enhance your social media experience.

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We invite you to bring a big appetite to enjoy unique watermelon-inspired dishes created by some of today's most adventurous chefs experimenting with the many flavors of summer.

Highlights of this year's watermelon inspired dishes include:

Watermelon Tacos
Watermelon Pupusas
Watermelon Cannoli
Watermelon Cheese cake
Watermelon Ceviche
Deep fried Watermelon
Watermelon Micheladas
Watermelon Gummy Candy
Watermelon Fudge
Watermelon Soda
Watermelon Crepes
Watermelon Sushi
Watermelon Funnel Cake
Watermelon Italian Ice

Whole fresh watermelons will be available for purchase as you exit, and sliced watermelon, either plain or with chamoy, will be on sale at the event.

Says Edward Campos, Festival Owner - "We've gone all out to make this year's Watermelon Festival not only fun for the whole family, but we want you and your family to come back each year, making the Watermelon Festival Southern California's launch into summer fun for generations to come."

The California Watermelon Festival would like to thank its sponsors: California Ford, Corona Beer, Imagination Works Graphics and Printing, Los Tóxicos Mariscos, Montage at Mission Hills, Party City, Telemundo 52, T Mobil, Tajin, and Vallarta Super Markets.

Safety Rules:
Dogs (except certified service dogs), bicycles, rollerblades, tables, boom boxes, chairs and ice chests/coolers are NOT permitted on festival grounds. In compliance with the Los Angeles County Health Department, non-Festival food & drinks are not permitted within the festival grounds. The festival is also a smoke-free environment. The California Watermelon Festival is not responsible for lost or stolen items but will maintain a lost and found at the information booth near the entrance.

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About the California Watermelon Festival:
The California Watermelon Festival started in the early 1960s in Sunland-Tujunga Park, CA. At that time, it was called the Lions Club Sunland-Tujunga Watermelon Festival. It was hosted at Sunland-Tujunga Park until the park became too small for the event. Eventually, management moved it to the Pasadena Rose Bowl for one year and Santa Anita Park for another year. Ultimately, the event was relocated to Hansen Dam Soccer Fields, which offers a cooler and more centralized location accessible from Antelope Valley, San Fernando Valley, and Los Angeles County. After the festival's move to Hansen Dam Soccer Fields, the festival was renamed the California Watermelon Festival. The objective of the California Watermelon Festival is to create a fun, family-friendly two-day celebration of watermelon with food, games, and visuals.

About Edward Campos, California Watermelon Festival Owner:
Festival Owner Edward Campos is a San Fernando Valley native, a UCLA graduate and business owner who currently resides in Sylmar, CA. Campos founded Imagination Works Graphics and Printing, which has been designing and printing for businesses in the Los Angeles area for over 20 years. His company has serviced Modelo Beer, Jack Daniels, Magic Mountain, Party City, Pepsi Cola, KC Lights, and The City of San Fernando. In the last 10 years, Campos has made The California Watermelon Festival in one of the most successful festivals in Los Angeles.

Watch promotional video 2025 https://youtu.be/Z-OCZesvVR0?si=ww70f904CVOWU_XV

https://watermelonfest.org/