Those hungry for some local cooking may consider making their way to Alvord for the annual Watermelon Festival and Barbecue Cook-off, with proceeds benefitting a couple of community endeavors.

The two-day event is at Elm Creek Park Pavillion this weekend.

The festival kicks off Friday with the Mike Watts Scholarship Fish Fry at 6 p.m. and Brandon Gentry performing 8 p.m. to midnight.

MELON CELEBRATION – Festival planners are preparing to serve slices of juicy watermelon this weekend during Alvord’s annual festival. Messenger photo by Joe Duty

That same day, novice chefs will register and move in for the next day’s cook-off competition. Turn-in times on Saturday will be announced Friday, and the top three meats, jackpot beans and overall grand champion cooker will be recognized with trophies at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Judges are needed.

Cooker camp spots will be granted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Entry fees are $80 for meats and $10 for beans and will be paid back to the cookers in prizes.

Saturday’s activities include vendor booths opening at 9 a.m. and a children’s pageant at 10 a.m. Registration is at 9:30, and categories are 0 to 23 months, 2 to 3 years, 4 to 6 years, and 7 to 9 years. Theme is Summer Time Fun, casual wear.

Entry fee is $20, and the deadline to enter has been extended to Friday. Call Michele Hardee at (940) 626-9337.

A fundraiser for the Alvord Veterans Memorial Park is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the festival. Barbecue sandwiches, hot dogs, chips, drinks, cobbler and other desserts will be sold.

That evening, a washer tournament is at 6 p.m. with a 50/50 jackpot. Other activities include a bounce house, dunking booth and water slide. T-shirts will be sold for $15.

Unless otherwise noted, proceeds of the festival benefit the Library Restoration Fund.

For information, call Debra McKelvain at (940) 389-1656.