Laura Young
ECB Publishing, Inc.
What's soft, stylish, has a headboard and rolls like crazy down Mulberry Street? A Watermelon Festival Bed Race entry, that's what!
Folks planning to enter this year's event, sponsored by AssuredPartners, are encouraged to register early (no later than June 7) and get busy right away transforming a simple bed into a racing phenomenon. Two prizes are up for grabs. Beds should be decorated to contend for the “Best Dressed Bed” award, and the racing team in each category (adult or teen) with the fastest time will receive custody of the Bragging Rights Trophy plus a cash prize of $25.
Beds must be constructed sturdily enough to be pushed down a bumpy street with a rider strapped to the mattress. Further, beds must be propelled only by team members' foot power – no motors allowed! In the middle of the race, each team’s bed rider will be required to get out of the bed at a turnaround point (while pushers are turning the bed around) and roll a watermelon to a designated point, get back in the bed and race to the finish.
Teams also can work in advance to line up supporters who will cheer for their team, and their team alone. Each person who comes and signs a team's Bed Booster form gives that team a one-inch advantage at starting time!
Applications for the Bed Race are available at monticellowatermelonfestival.com and must be dropped off by Wednesday, June 7, at the Chamber of Commerce office, located at 420 W. Washington St. Racing entries must be ready and at the staging area just two days later, by 6:15 p.m. on Friday, June 9.
For more information see monticellowatermelonfestival.com or call
(850) 997-5552.