Watermelon juice dribbled down chins, frogs hopped through crowds and bodies were covered in dirt as children and adults took part of the Fourth of July contests at the Red, White and Bluegrass Festival.
Butch McSwain, the assistant director of Morganton Parks and Recreation, emceed the watermelon eating and frog-leaping contests. McSwain said all the events were fun, and he was glad to add to everyone's Fourth of July.
Children and adults gathered behind the Collett Street Recreation Center to see who could gobble down the most watermelon slices in three minutes.
Separated into two age groups, the first place prize was $25 in cash. Ben Bingham, 12, of Jamestown, proved victorious over the other children after consuming four large slices of watermelon.
Bingham said his cousin convinced him to enter the contest just mere moments before it began. The winner even claimed he had just eaten a large meal before participating in the competition.
Bingham said he isn't sure what he's going to do with the prize money, but it will most likely go toward his bicycle.
Caitlin Anderson, 19, of Morganton and her frog, Amberjack, proved victorious in the frog-leaping contest. Jumping an impressive 99 inches, Anderson and Amberjack took home the $250 grand prize.
Anderson said she got Amberjack from a "secret" pond on Thursday night and told him to, "stay still" before the contest.
Each frog was allowed three leaps from the center of a wooden platform, and quite a few decided to take a few extra hops through the crowd as energetic children chased after them.
As the day continued, the prize money atop of two greased poles waved in the air beckoning adventurous children and a few adults to climb the wooden staffs.
Abraham Carswell, 9, of Taylorsville, was less than a foot away from grabbing the $5 bill attached to the shorter pole. Carswell, who rubbed dirt across his bare chest to gain an advantage, said he was determined to grab the prize money this year.
After attempting several times the previous year, Carswell was confident he could reach the prize this year. The crowd was confident too, as they cheered him on during each attempt.
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