Last month, I wrote about my New Year’s resolution to finally compete in a watermelon seed spittin’ contest by organizing one of my own. I’ve been doing some more thinking about this goal, and I’m beginning to wonder if I bit off more than I can chew (or spit). After all, planning a seed spittin’ contest – a real contest, not one during my Fourth of July barbeque – takes a lot of work.
That’s why I’ve decided to let other people do the work for me, which – if I’m competing in the event – also frees up more time for me to train for the contest. Yes, I’ll still need to do a lot of work up-front in the next few months, but once I find a suitable venue (and an exhibitor or third-party willing to host the contest), they should be able to take over from there.
In other words, I’m planting the seed and then sitting back and watching it grow. That’s the plan, at least. I’ve narrowed the list of potential venues for the seed spittin’ contest to two candidates:
PENNSYLVANIA FARM SHOW (January 2013)
BENEFITS: This week-long celebration of Pennsylvania’s agriculture attracts more than 400,000 visitors from around the world and is the largest indoor agricultural exposition in the U.S. Also, a watermelon seed spittin’ contest would fit right in amongst the other quirky exhibits and activities.
DRAWBACKS: Although it’s housed in the one-million-square-foot Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, finding room for the seed spittin’ contest might be tricky (though not impossible). The show’s timing – in the dead of winter – also goes against the usual summer timing of most seed spittin’ contests.
CUMBERLAND AG EXPO (August 2012)
BENEFITS: This show is in August, right in the middle of seed spittin’ season. It’s also much smaller than the PA Farm Show, but that might work in our favor. The Expo’s three-day calendar includes a Friday evening event called “Barnyard Olympics,” which sounds like it would be perfect for adding a seed spitting contest to.
DRAWBACKS: The Expo’s website includes a gloomy message about the 2011 show being scaled back due to lack of funding. Since the show is on the small side, I might need to do more legwork throughout the year to organize a contest.
So there you have it. Two potential hosts for the seed spittin’ contest. The next step will be reaching out to the right people at these venues to learn more about them and to check out the likelihood of adding a watermelon seed spittin’ contest to the calendar. I’ll report the results in March!