Jefferson County is proud to host the 60th Annual Watermelon Festival in Monticello, Florida. This region in northern Florida is just east of the capitol city of Tallahassee, yet the area is well known for an agricultural heritage and a rural atmosphere reminiscent of "old Florida". Local farms began growing watermelons during the late 1800's. The soil and weather proved to be a great combination for the watermelon crops.

By 1884, Jefferson County was considered the top watermelon seed supplier for the entire country. Prominent seed supplier William M. Girardeau became very successful after he developed the first commercial machine for separating the seeds from the watermelons.

Over the years, many local farms continued to grow and market watermelons and watermelon seeds. This trend continued for decades and inspired the first Jefferson County Watermelon Festival in Monticello. Over the years, many new events have been added to the Festival.

The Watermelon Festival is the highlight of community activities in Jefferson County. Started over 50 years ago to recognize the watermelon growers of the county, the festival includes beauty pageants, dinners, street dance, arts and crafts, melon run, sports events, and parade. Held each year the third week of June, the festival encourages community groups to sponsor events and raise funds for ongoing projects. This year's theme is "Sensational Sixties".