The lasting legacy of the Watermelon Queens

Hailey Heseltine ECB Publishing, Inc. Monticello's annual Watermelon Festival will be kicked off tomorrow with the Watermelon Queen Pageant! This event has been a staple of the Watermelon Festival since its beginning in the 1940s, when Watermelon Queens began their reign in Jefferson County. The event is divided into different categories—Baby Miss, Tiny Miss, Tiny Mister Watermelon, Little Miss, Princess, Young Miss, Junior Miss Watermelon, and Miss Watermelon Queen—so that Jefferson Cou