Paint Watermelon buses at July 15 WaterColors event in Laurel

Cut-off buses full of watermelons seen traveling the back roads and busy byways in southwestern Sussex County are synonymous with summers in this part of the state. These buses are used to transport watermelons from the field to the auction and packing houses for sale and transport to points across North America. Many of these watermelons find their way to the Laurel farmers market, also known as The Block, which was founded in 1940 and is the oldest produce auction market on the East Coast.

The Second Annual WaterColors will be a single-day community event held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, July 15 (rain date July 16) at Roger C. Fisher Park along Broad Creek in downtown Laurel. The event will feature a collaborative art activity to paint two watermelon buses. All are invited to attend. Artist John Donato is returning to lead volunteer participants in painting a bus in a style that reflects Laurel's rich heritage and culture. One of the buses will feature Laurel as a center for agriculture and the other bus will highlight the many recreational opportunities offered by the area's wonderful natural resources.

The event will feature fresh, local watermelon served by the Mar-Del Watermelon Association. Connor Vincent, 2017 Mar-Del Watermelon Queen, will also make an appearance and join in the painting fun.

For more information, contact Brian Shannon from the Laurel Redevelopment Corporation at 302-875-0601.