Dix Harper, former farm reporter for Capitol Broadcasting, projects a watermelon seed during the Watermelon Day seed-spitting contest at the State Farmers Market in 1983.
Fourth of July celebrations are perfect for eating watermelon, and North Carolina has plenty of the tasty treat. In fact, North Carolina is the eighth-largest producer of watermelon in the nation. If you didn’t eat watermelon over the holiday weekend, don’t worry; there are several watermelon events planned over the coming weeks for you to get your fill. One event is Watermelon Day at the State Farmers Market. That’s where the photo of Dix Harper, shown above, was taken in 1983 as he wowed the crowd with his seed-spitting capabilities.