Hidden away in the county seat of Livingston County a magical little festival celebrates a scrumptious little melon. The Howell Melon Festival, held in mid-August, showcases the Howell melon, a cantaloupe hybrid claimed to be found only in the area surrounding Howell, Michigan. The first Howell Melon Festival was held in 1961. About 50,000 people attend the three day festival each year.

The City of Howell, has an interesting hand to hold with local Scottish culture. Settled by pioneers from New York in the early 1830s, they formed a thriving city center that acted as a civil gathering space. The year 1836 also saw William McPherson migrate to this village from his native Scotland and become one of the most respected and wealthiest of men in the area. He came here with his wife, two sons, and a daughter. Mr. McPherson was a blacksmith and started a blacksmith shop with his father-in-law, Andrew Riddle, who was also a native of Scotland.

The Highlander, this Scottish symbol, has been Howell High School’s mascot since roughly the late 1940’s, when the 1947 yearbook referred to the Highlander. The mascot was kept since the topography parallels between Howell and the Scottish Highlands were so similar. The adoption was official in 1956, and mascot suit itself was purchased with the class of 1996’s $2,000 donation.

For many years, stories about the history of how melons made their way to Howell have been told, but longtime farmer Gerald Knight, recently chosen as festival grand marshal, said he can set the record straight.

The real story, he explained, involves his father and his friends sharing tasty melons from Indiana and using the saved seeds to grow their own. But that all came after Knight’s family emigrated from England.

Knight’s grandfather met a woman at a local bank, moved south of town and bought a farm, which used to be the county poor farm, and Knight Farm was born in the 1900s.

Years later, the family began growing melons and a local doctor helped publicize the fruit. It all eventually led to the annual festival, now in its 63rd year.

In years past, the highlight of the festival was a beauty contest to elect the Howell Melon Queen. The very first Melon Queen, a beautiful nurse, won a trip to Washington, D.C. where she met with President Dwight D. Eisenhower at the White House. The news wires picked up the story of the beauty queen and the Howell melons, earning front-page stories in the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times, and “that’s how the Howell melon got famous”, according to Dr. Louis May, organizer of the first festival.

The festival is now managed by the Howell Area Parks and Recreation Authority. Instead of a Melon Queen, the new tradition is to elect children as Melon Prince and Princess, Mini Prince and Princess, and (the youngest category) Sprout Prince and Princess .

2023 FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

– THURSDAY, AUGUST 17TH –

LINE DANCING WITH MI FITNESS COMMUNITY
6:30pm-7:30pm
Festival Tent, State St.

FESTIVAL TENT
5pm-10pm
Festival Tent, State St.

FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOOK SALE
4pm-7pm (friends members only; memberships available on-site)
Howell Carnegie Library, 314 W. Grand River Ave.

 

– FRIDAY, AUGUST 18TH –

ART AT THE OPERA HOUSE – FINE ARTS SHOW
3pm-9pm
Howell Opera House 123 W. Grand River Ave.

FESTIVAL TENT
5pm-11pm
State St.

MELON QUEST SCAVENGER HUNT
5pm-11pm
Downtown Howell, MI

MASCOT DASH
6:00pm
Corner of State & Clinton St.

MELON ROLL
6:15pm
Corner of State & Clinton St.

HOWELL MELON RUN 5K
7pm
Corner of State & Clinton St.

CONCERT AT THE COURTHOUSE – JILL JACK
7pm-9pm
Historic Howell Courthouse Lawn, 200 E. Grand River Ave.

 

– SATURDAY, AUGUST 19TH –

VENDOR SHOW
9am-8pm
Grand River Ave.

MELON QUEST SCAVENGER HUNT
9am-11pm
Downtown Howell, MI

STREET HOCKEY
Saturday, August 19th – 9am-8pm
N. Michigan Ave

FESTIVAL TENT
10am-11pm
State St.

HISTORIC CAR SHOW
10am-2pm
E. Grand River Ave.

CORNHOWELL TOURNAMENT
Check-in 10am
Tournament 12pm-6pm
N. State St.

ART AT THE OPERA HOUSE – FINE ARTS SHOW
11am-9pm
Howell Opera House 123 W. Grand River Ave.

MAINSTAGE CONCERT – FLINT SCOTTISH PIPE BAND
Sponsored by Bank of Ann Arbor
11am-12pm
E. Grand River Ave.

MAINSTAGE CONCERT – KAYLYN PACE
Sponsored by Bank of Ann Arbor
NEW TIME – 1:30pm-3:30pm
E. Grand River Ave.

MAINSTAGE CONCERT – ELECTRIC REDLINE
Sponsored by Bank of Ann Arbor
NEW TIME – 4pm-6pm
E. Grand River Ave.

MAINSTAGE CONCERT – HELLO WEEKEND
Sponsored by Bank of Ann Arbor
8pm-10pm
E. Grand River Ave.

– SUNDAY, AUGUST 20TH –

VENDOR SHOW
9am-5pm
Grand River Ave.

MELON QUEST SCAVENGER HUNT
9am-10pm
Downtown Howell, MI

HOWELL FARMER’S MARKET
9am-2pm
E. Grand RIver Ave.

STREET HOCKEY
Sunday, August 20th – 9am-5pm
N. Michigan Ave

ART AT THE OPERA HOUSE – FINE ARTS SHOW
Presented by the Livingston Arts Council
11am-4pm
Howell Opera House 123 W. Grand River Ave.

 

Works Cited

Alvord, Patricia. “Gerald Knight Shares the Story of the Howell Melon after He’s Chosen as Grand Marshal.” Livingston Daily Press & Argus, 1 July 2022, www.livingstondaily.com/story/news/2022/07/02/howell-resident-gerald-knight-tells-story-howell-melon/7755332001/. Accessed 16 Aug. 2023.

Dare, Paul & Jennifer. “Short History of Howell Michigan.” Periodic Thoughts and Ramblings from the Whole Dare Family…, 2 Jan. 2012, darefamily.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/short-history-of-howell-michigan/. Accessed 16 Aug. 2023.

“Howell Melon Festival.” Howell Melon Festival, www.howellmelonfestival.com/. Accessed 16 Aug. 2023.

Killop, Megan. “History of the Highlander.” THE MAIN FOUR, 26 Jan. 2015, www.howellmainfour.com/8724/feature/history-of-the-highlander/. Accessed 16 Aug. 2023.

“The History of Howell.” Www.cityofhowell.org, www.cityofhowell.org/residents/about_the_city_of_howell/history.php.