Hope-Hempstead County, Arkansas Chamber of Commerce, Sponsor of the annual Hope Watermelon Festival

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ANOTHER WORLD'S RECORD WATERMELON!

The World's Largest Watermelon at 268.8 pounds.

The Lloyd Bright family grew 2 world record breaking watermelons in the summer of 2005. Saturday, September 3rd, 2005, a melon was weighed in at 268.8 pounds at the Hope Farm Store. This melon is registered in Lloyd Bright's name. On Monday, August 29th, 2005, a watermelon grown in the same field, registered in the names of Pat Bright Rhodes and Barbara Bright Jones, captured the world's title for heaviest melon weighing 262.6 pounds. That melon broke the record of a 262 pound watermelon grown by a Tennessee man. The Bright family set world records in melon size in 1979 with a 200 pound melon and in 1985 with one that weighed 260 pounds. Lloyd Bright says the dry summer had made conditions favorable for the cultivation of giant melons. The 268.8 pound melon was certified by Guinness as the world record in the spring of 2006. Currently, the plaque awarded Lloyd Bright hangs at Dos Loco Gringos Restaurant in Hope. Visit the Bright Family website giantwatermelons.com for the history of big melon growing in Hope.

Click here for more pictures of the world's largest watermelon!

HOPE'S GIANT WATERMELON HERITAGE

Here is a list of all the Hope world record watermelons after the city took over the watermelon growing contest and started promoting it nationwide.

1925 - 136 pounds

Hugh Laseter

1926 - 143 1/4 pounds

Edgar Laseter

1927 - 144 pounds

Arthur Powell

1928 - 144 3/4 pounds

Henry S. Dudley

1929 - 152 1/2 pounds

Edgar Laseter

1930 - 160 3/4 pounds

A.B. Turner

1930 - 164 3/4 pounds

O.D. Middlebrooks

1935 - 195 pounds

Arnold, Melvin and O.D. Middlebrooks

1979 - 200 pounds

Ivan and Lloyd Bright

1985 - 260 pounds

Jason L. Bright

2005 - 268.8 pounds

Lloyd Bright

In most places after a large watermelon is grown, it is the grower that is challenged by other growers. In Hope, most consider the town to be challenged when a record watermelon is grown from outside. That first happened in 1930 when Mr. Turner's record watermelon was defeated by an out-of-town watermelon. Growers in other areas haven't received the support like the contest growers in Hope. For watermelon contests, Hope is unique.