Thousands turn out for 44th Carytown Watermelon Festival: 'Cary Street is just awesome'

RICHMOND, Va. — Thousands of people turned out Sunday for the 44th annual Watermelon Festival on Cary Street in Richmond's Carytown neighborhood, braving the heat for fresh watermelon, live music, a kids area and dozens of vendors.

The festival, known as one of the biggest annual events in Virginia, drew visitors from across the Richmond area for a day of community and celebration along one of the city's most beloved commercial strips.

Kolby Joyce, who moved to Richmond several years ago and had been trying to attend the festival for years, finally made it out — and said it lived up to the hype.

"Literally, the first thing I saw when I got here was people chopping up watermelons, so immediately got a cup — $2 bucks, gotta love that," Joyce said.

Joyce said the festival is about more than just watermelon. He connected with a vendor offering 24/7 emergency veterinary services — something he said he did not know existed and could have used during a recent pet emergency.

His message to anyone who has not yet made it out to the festival was simple.

"If you're in Richmond and you see the Watermelon Festival every year and you haven't made it out yet, I really recommend it. It's such a great festival and Cary Street is just awesome — regardless, if there's a festival or not, so that's just a cherry on top," Joyce said.