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Community Roots: Selections from the Local Legacies Project
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Early Turbeville growers
Original Turberville growers Jack Stephens, Bob Long, Rita Herbert, Hilton Hudson and John Wade. The first festival was held on Wade's farm in 1981.

Virginia Cantaloupe Festival

Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2000, the Virginia Cantaloupe Festival has grown from a local fund-raising event devised by the Halifax County Chamber of Commerce and the Turbeville Cantaloupe Growers Association to a regional attraction. The Chamber of Commerce and about 300 community volunteers still plan, promote, and host the event each year, and proceeds from the festival enable the Chamber to enhance programming, make capital improvements, and sustain a full-time staff. Not only does Festival entertain fun-seekers and educate visitors about the area's agricultural bounty and the Turbeville community, but it serves as well as a forum for local and corporate businesses and politicians, including governors, lieutenant governors, senators and delegates.

Halifax County cantaloupes are highlighted, along with other locally grown produce such as tomatoes, corn, watermelons, blackberries, raspberries, and soybeans. Each year bands recognized for their contribution to southern-influenced music entertain about 4500 attendees. The Virginia Cantaloupe Festival has been featured in area television segments, and it has employed a website to inform thousands more of the yearly event. The project is documented by a five-page report, ten photographs, a tee-shirt and a ceramic tile trivet.

Originally submitted by: Virgil Goode, Jr., Representative (5th District).



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The Local Legacies project provides a "snapshot" of American Culture as it was expressed in spring of 2000. Consequently, it is not being updated with new or revised information with the exception of "Related Website" links.

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