FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 12, 2011
50TH ANNUAL WATERMELON FESTIVAL
FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 13 & 14, 2011
SUNLAND PARK, SUNLAND, CALIFORNIA 91040
What’s New for the Golden Anniversary…
Sunland, CA…The 50th Annual Watermelon Festival,
presented by the Sunland-Tujunga Lions Club, will be held
Friday, August 12 from 5pm to 11pm, Saturday, August 13
from noon to 11:30pm and Sunday, August 14 from noon to
10pm, at Sunland Park located at 8651 Foothill Boulevard,
Sunland, CA 91040. Tickets are $5.00 for adults, $2.00
for kids up to 40” tall and babies are free. Additionally,
adults who come in watermelon costumes and outfits get
in for $2.00 and kids are $1. For additional information
visit www.lionswatermelonfestival.com or www.facebook.com/watermelonfestival
or call 818-353-4554.
As usual the celebration features free watermelon slices,
watermelon carving demonstrations, watermelon eating contests,
greased watermelon relay races, watermelon seed spitting
contests, watermelon growing contests, wearable art contests
and nightly prize drawings. The International food court
features the Lion’s fresh corn booth, a beer and
wine garden, tacos, BBQ, wraps, crepes, Thai-Chinese food,
ice cream, kettle corn, candied apples and more. There’s
is also a dining tent, community courtyard, and a huge
bazaar marketplace featuring arts and crafts, clothing,
jewelry, personal services and product marketing. Two
stages of live entertainment with music on the Main Stage
and the Pavilion Stage featuring poetry readings and storytellers,
a special appearance by Ronald McDonald, face painting
and classic clowns. Kids will further love the carnival
rides, arcade games, petting zoo and pony rides as well
as the water slide, so bring along your bathing suits.
100% of funds raised by the Watermelon Festival are used
by the Sunland-Tujunga Lions Club to support local youth
and community activities, disaster relief, and to support
health and vision conservation programs in California,
across the nation and throughout the world.
In honor of the Golden Anniversary new attractions and
highlights include:
A Watermelon Recipe Contest featuring four categories:
salad/appetizer, entrée, beverage and dessert.
Contestants must email their recipes to farmersmarket@lamission.edu
by Monday, August 8th. Finalists will be invited to come
to the judging which will be held in the Watermelon Pavilion
at 1:00pm on Saturday, August 13th. Executive Sous Chef
Jesse Sanchez of Los Angeles Mission College of Culinary
Arts Program will be the judge. He is a leader in the
Raw and Super foods movements and won the 4th Annual Chef
of the Year in 2006 sponsored by the American Culinary
Federation.
The Coronation of the Watermelon Queen and new this year,
the Coronation of a Watermelon King on Friday, August
12th at 8:30pm.on the Main Stage.
There is a large group of young people vying for the
crowns – there are four candidates for Queen, three
for King, and four for Junior Queen. Contestants earn
points to win the crown by selling tickets, contributing
service to the community and through votes from the public
during the month of July. The income from the tickets
sold is divided between the Lions Club and the organization
sponsoring each candidate. Several of the athletic teams
at Verdugo Hills High School have candidates running,
and community organizations sponsoring a candidate include
the Wildlife Way Station, Verdugo Hills Family YMCA, The
Desi Geestman Foundation, Boy Scout Troop 315, the Sunland-Tujunga
LEO Club and McGroarty Cultural Arts Center.
Attendees can also meet the King and Queen in the Watermelon
Pavilion and have photos taken with them at various times
over the weekend.
Spin the Watermelon Wheel in the Pavilion! You will receive
a Spin ticket with your admission, or they may be purchased
for $1. Win one of these prizes: a watermelon, an ear
of corn, a raffle ticket, a bottle of water, or 3 seeds
to use at the Spitway!
An historic retrospective photo exhibit will also be
featured in the Watermelon Pavilion, and former Watermelon
Queens will be on hand for the festivities.
Need a discount on the entry fee? Make a watermelon
costume, outfit or wearable art and qualify for a $2.00
admission charge! And…free raffle tickets will be
awarded each hour for the most words spelled from the
word watermelon in five minutes.
The musical entertainment on the Main Stage this year
includes returning favorites Sink To See, an alternative
rock band; classical rock band The Heist; high school
students perform rock covers in The Garage Band; blues
legends Artwork Jamal & Deacon Jones; Clean Slate
with their brand of classic rock covers; and Latin vocalist
and musician Iliana Rose. New additions in the lineup
are Monte Mar an Indy rock band; the acoustic sounds of
A Painted World; the rock and blues band Delta Rose; alternative
rockers and classic covers by Sonic Mojo; the Michael
Ragonese Jazz Trio; the country sounds of 29 Mules; bluegrass
music by Rose’s Pawn Shop; and swing and dance to
the Happiness Jazz Band; along with Andy DiMino’s
tribute to crooner Dean Martin. Additional acts include
Hula dancers, and Irish and Israeli Dancers from Aletheia’s
Multi-Cultural Dance Team.
For additional information contact: John Forrester at
323-702-3684 or email john@johnforrester.com
or Marcia Groff at 310721-1592, entertainmg@gmail.com
======================
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 26, 2011
50TH ANNUAL SUNLAND-TUJUNGAWATERMELON FESTIVAL
ANNOUNCES MUSICAL LINE UP AND EXTRA ADDED ATTRACTIONS
FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 13 & 14, 2011
SUNLAND PARK, SUNLAND, CALIFORNIA 91040
Sunland, CA…The 50th Annual Sunland-Tujunga Watermelon
Festival is pleased to announce the Main Stage Musical
Lineup and Extra Added Watermelon Attractions. The festival
will be held Friday, August 12 from 5pm to 11pm, Saturday,
August 13 from noon to 11:30pm and Sunday, August 14 from
noon to 10pm, at Sunland Park located at 8651 Foothill
Boulevard, Sunland, CA 91040. Tickets are $5.00 for adults,
$2.00 for kids up to 40” tall and babies are free.
Additionally, adults who come in watermelon costumes and
outfits get in for $2.00 and kids are $1. For more information
visit www.lionswatermelonfestival.com or call 818-353-4554.
The musical entertainment, featuring new acts and returning
favorites, on the Main Stage, opens at 5:30pm on Friday,
August 12, with the Indy rock band MONTE MAR, a featured
pick on My Space Music. At 7:00pm returning favorite SINK
TO SEE take the stage for an hour’s set. The alternative
rock band has been showcased in Nissan Commercials and
television shows on MTV, Spike, ABC Family and Nickelodeon.
THE HEIST closes out the evening from 8:30 to 11pm with
classic rock covers. The band is noted for their four
part vocal harmonies and has appeared on KTLA’s
Morning News and is also a returning favorite of the festival.
Saturday, August 13 performances begin at noon with, back
by popular demand, THE GARAGE BAND, Sunland-Tujunga’s
own very talented high school students who switch instruments
during their rock cover set. 1:30pm to 2:00pm features
newcomer A PAINTED WORLD with Travis Mersola celebrated
for this intricate guitar work and melodic vocals. At
2:30pm returnees ARTWORK JAMAL & DEACON JONES. Jamal
was named 2010 West Coast Blues Male Vocalist of the Year
and Jones is legendary for his organ playing. Additional
newcomers to the festival include DELTA ROSE at 4:30pm
with hard hitting songs and shredding solos, followed
at 6:00pm by SONIC MOJO with alternative rock originals
and classic rock cover tunes. The evening ends with another
audience favorite CLEAN SLATE. The classic rock cover
band known for their crisp harmonies, beat bucking bass,
high octane southern piano, rim-rolling drums and panning
guitars. Interim entertainment includes performances by
Alethia’s Multi-Cultural Dance Team. Morris English
dancing at 2:00pm and Israeli Dances at 4:00pm.
The festival’s closing lineup for Sunday, August
14 begins at 12:30pm with the debut of the MICHAEL RAGONESE
JAZZ TRIO followed at 2:00pm by Latin Salsa and Cuban
jazz festival darling ILIANA ROSE. More new acts for this
year’s festival include 29 MULES hitting the stage
at 4:30pm with their brand of country fusion and southern
rock, followed by bluegrass touring sensation ROSE’S
PAWN SHOP at 5:45pm. The day’s entertainment concludes
with the upbeat swing sounds of the HAPPINESS JAZZ BAND
taking a turn prior to backing Dean Martin Tribute artist
and crooner ANDY DIMINO.
Special Added Watermelon Attractions for the Golden
Anniversary include:
Watermelon Growing Competition judging at 6pm on Friday,
August 12
Watermelon Cooking Demonstrations by Chef Jesse Sanchez
on Saturday, August 13 at 1pm, 5pm and Sunday, August
14 at 3pm and 5pm
Chef Sanchez is Executive Sous Chef for the Los Angeles
Mission College of Culinary Arts Program. He is a leader
in the Raw and Super foods movements and won the 4th Annual
Chef of the Year in 2006 sponsored by the American Culinary
Federation.
Watermelon Recipe Contest for Best Salad/Appetizer, Entrée,
Beverage and Dessert at 3pm on Saturday, August 13. Finalists
will be judged and winner announced.
Watermelon Carving Demonstration by Chef Martin A. Gilligan
on Sunday, August 14 at 1pm
Chef Martin A. Gilligan brings more than twenty years
of experience to his current position at Los Angeles Mission
College. He recently held the position of Resident Chef
with Sur La Tables’ Culinary Program and in 2005
he was awarded ‘Chef of the Year’ from the
Chef De Cuisine Association of California.
Spin the new Melon Wheel for free prizes
Tasty treats include Deep Fried Watermelon on a Stick
at Cardinali Wood Fired Pizzas, Watermelon Ice at Moustache
Mike’s and Watermelon Lemonade at the Aeco SRL.
The Watermelon Festival is the only fund-raising project
of the Sunland-Tujunga Lion Club, part of an international
service organization found in over 200 countries. Lions
all over the world focus on sight conservation and work
on eradicating preventable blindness, providing help to
people with impaired vision and helping those who are
blind. All profits made from the Festival are used to
fund the club service projects and provide financial help
for many local groups, schools, youth and community services.
So come join the fun and enjoy carnival rides, arcade
games, live music and dance, poetry, food, arts and crafts,
clowns, a petting zoo and don’t forget the raffle
tickets for great prizes.
For additional information contact:
John Forrester at 323-702-3684, john@johnforrester.com
or Marcia Groff at 310-721-1592, entertainmg@gmail.com
======================
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2010
49th Annual Watermelon Festival Debuts
The WatermelonOmatic
A watermelon slicing machine…
the best invention since sliced bread!
Sunland, CA… Come join the fun and witness the
debut of the Watermelon Festival’s original watermelonOmatic
slicing machine!
The 49th Annual Watermelon Festival will debut local
businessman Ara Zeithlian’s WatermelonOmatic slicing
machine at the event being held at Sunland Park, 8651
Foothill Boulevard, Sunland, California, 91040, August
13 through August 15, 2010. The Festival is sponsored
by the Sunland-Tujunga Lions Club. For additional information,
complete schedule and times log on to www.lionswatermelonfestival.com,
www.facebook.com/watermelonfestival or call 818-353-4554.
Necessity, always the mother of invention, dictated the
creation of the WatermelonOmatic. The machine creates
uniform slices of the succulent melon and deposits them
on to a conveyer belt at the speed of forty slices a minute.
This best invention since sliced bread was created by
Zeithlian who owns and operates the Breadmaster Bakery
(www.breadmasters.com) in Pico Rivera. It is possibly
the only industrial watermelon slicing machine in the
world and saves the volunteers working in the Watermelon
Pavilion’s free watermelon booth both time and energy.
The long lines will be a thing of the past as the masses
of melon lovers can pick up a slice right off the conveyor
belt at a record breaking pace.
Zeithlian, a Lions Club member and director of the Watermelon
Festival for the past three years also has other inventions
to his name. One of them is a rotisserie oven that cooks
twenty chickens at a time. He also builds and sells ovens
specifically designed to bake flat bread. Using his knowledge
of the yearly event and his expertise in manufacturing
he created the new watermelon slicer specifically for
Sunland-Tujunga’s annual Lions Club event.
Additional events featured at the Watermelon Pavilion
include the Watermelon Spitway, the All-Day-Every-Day
Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest with a $100 cash prize,
watermelon carving demonstrations, the Watermelon Eating
Contest and the Greased Watermelon Relay Race.
After filling up on watermelon the kids will love to
visit the newly created KidsZone with pony rides, petting
zoo, water slides, a sports cage, laser tag, and Spider
Mountain. Or they can get their faces painted, laugh with
the clowns and have fun in the shade with arts and crafts.
Also, don’t miss the coronation of the annual Watermelon
Queen and her court on Friday and August 13 at 7:30, or
enjoy the numerous musical acts and dance troupes non-stop
on the main stage, eat in the International Food Court
and shop in Marketplace, then check out all the rides
and arcade games.
For additional information contact Marynance Schellenbach
at stlionsclub@gmail.com or call 818-353-4554
For press credentials and interviews contact Marcia Groff
at entmg@adelphia.net or call 310-310-3937. A video is
also available upon request.
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