National Watermelon Month is just over two weeks away, which means it’s time to kick off our Sixth Annual Watermelon Carving Contest. This year’s contest will be similar to the 2014 contest, but with a few key differences:
- ENTERING IS SIMPLER – The National Watermelon Promotion Board has created a handy webpage that allows you to easily upload photos and entry information.
- MORE PRIZES – Each category will be separated into a group for beginners and a group for experienced carvers. Each sub-category of competitors will feature a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prize.
- A “JUDGE’S CHOICE” AWARD – The fans have voted on a “People’s Choice” award in the past (and will again this year), but we’ve added a “Judge’s Choice” award, too.
- JUDGING CRITERIA – To help guide your carvings and let you know how each carving will be judged, we’ve created a judging criteria sheet, which can be downloaded here.
HOW TO ENTER
The deadline for entries is August 4th. Like I mentioned above, the new web page makes entering this year’s carving contest easier than ever before. You’ll need at least two photos of your carving – one photo of your carving, and one photo with you holding or standing next to your carving.
As always, you can enter more than one carving. In fact, the judges will award extra credit for each additional carving you submit. You can get credit for up to five additional carvings, but feel free to enter as many carvings as you’d like.
CATEGORIES
Below are the five categories in this year’s contest. Feel free to check out the carvings on the National Watermelon Promotion Board website for inspiration.
- Most Elegant Carving
- Best Fruit Basket Carving
- Funniest Carving
- Best Animal Carving
- Star-Spangled Carving (Show us your most patriotic carving!)
PRIZES
Each category will be divided into “Beginner” and “Experienced” groups, with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes for each group. Prizes include a $150 Amazon.com gift card for 1st place, a $100 Amazon.com gift card for 2nd place, and a $50 Amazon.com gift card for 3rd place.
The first 25 entrants will AUTOMATICALLY receive a Dexas watermelon cutting board as a bonus participation prize. (Limit one cutting board per person.)
After the August 4th deadline, we’ll post EVERY entry on the contest Web page and let the fans choose the “People’s Choice” winner, who will receive a $500 Amazon.com gift card. While the fans are picking their People’s Choice, the judges will be busy reviewing all carvings in order to pick the “Judges’ Choice” winner, who will also receive a $500 Amazon.com gift card.
That’s it, folks! If you have any questions between now and the August 4th deadline, leave a comment here on the blog or e-mail me at jslice@whataboutwatermelon.com. Good luck, and happy carving!
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To enter, visit the official 2015 Watermelon Carving Contest Web page. An outline of judging criteria and official contest rules can also be found on the contest page.
UP NEXT: What activities are on your summer to-do list?
Remember, all comments left on the blog this month are entered to win our June prize – a set of watermelon dip bowls – so comment as often as you’d like!