January 2, 2007

Hope (Hempstead County) celebrates its claim of being the home of the world’s largest watermelons with one of the state’s most well-attended festivals, the Hope Watermelon Festival. Originating in 1926, the festival, with its many activities including a parade (as seen in this 1920s photo), was discontinued after four years due to a number of factors, such as the difficulty of the small town dealing with the large crowd. The parade-less festival was revived in 1977 and celebrates its thirtieth anniversary in August 2007.