June 8 - Seminole Tribe of Florida

The Seminole Tribune 8 June 8, 2007By Susan EtxebarriaBIG CYPRESS — Themyriad of inflatable bouncers waspopular among the many childrenwho loved getting wet on a muggyhot day at the yearly Watermelon Festivaland Car Show. The daylong communityfestival was held May 5 on the ballfields at Big Cypress SeminoleReservationKids of all ages, eventoddlers, were running nonstop inand out of a gigantic soapy inflatablecar wash with its cleansingafter spray. The children seemedhappy jumping in the big cloud ofsuds. Moms stood by with towelsready.Children also splashed joyouslydown the bounce water slidewhile others preferred to shoot each otherwith giant water guns at the fort known asWater Tag. Anything to get wet!Meanwhile, the parents and grandparents,cousins, aunts and uncles sat under large show tentsand relished ice cold watermelon, as well as otherbarbecued foods being cooked on a grill, like ribs,hot dogs and hamburgers. Roasting corn from theCouncilman’s Office was given away.The large slices of pink juicy watermelonsat in barrels of ice and those who wanted to pick upa slice or a plateful and take it back to their tablewere encouraged to do so. Hundreds ofwatermelons were cut upthroughout the day. Wholewatermelons and some cantaloupeswere handed out to residentswhen they left thegrounds. It seemed like everyoneloved melon.It’s no wonder watermelonis a favorite fruit at Big CypressReservation. It sits smack in the midst ofwatermelon-growing country where such farmsabound in Henry, Lee and Collier counties. TheFlorida Department of Agriculture cites thisregion as one of the largest areas in the statefor watermelon growers. Trucks loaded downwith watermelons are often seen drivingalong Snake Road through the reservationduring the peak spring or fall seasons ontheir way to markets.There were also unwanted guestsgathering under the cool tents: the pesky “lovebugs” that plague Florida for about five weekseach spring. Most people were resigned to theinvasion of these little flies and ignored themas much as possible. Fanning them off was theonly defense.Upbeat music was played throughoutthe day from the Brighton RecreationDepartment’s excellent sound system. The beatkept a party mood going, while many adultsplayed horseshoes under another tent.The busiest place all day long wasthe family-centered games and activitiestent where various Big Cypress departmentshosted carnival-style booths andgave away gifts or prizes. This involvementgave residents a chance to learn moreabout the services offered by each departmentat Big Cypress. It also gave residents anopportunity to meet new staff or chat withveteran staff.AhfachkeeSchools’ booth was aminiature putt-putt golfcourse with a game they called theTiger Woods Challenge. The elaborate landscapebackdrop, designed by the VaryingExceptionalities class, was a color collage andpainting of the natural surroundings of Big Cypresswith its chickees and wildlife.Many booths had dart games; the UtilitiesDepartment gave out snacks and 4-H offered upsnow cones. The Fitness Department provided aHigh Striker where the contestant tried to hit theball with a sledge hammer to make the bell ring.The building department had a hammering contest.Whoever could hammer nails faster than oneof their carpenters won a prize.Watermelons may be 92 percent water, butthey have a ton of seeds inside. Contestants in theseed-spitting challenge picked out their own seeds(three apiece) from a bowl of watermelons at thestart line, looking for the largest ones they couldfind.The futile attempts of some spitters to spitfar enough to win the game were comical and naturallya crowd gathered to watch. Some spitters hadpracticed; others sputtered, and the seeds fell justfeet away. One spitter brought laughs when he accidentallyspit the seed more than 20feet away and it bounced off StanFrischman’s brow.Frischman is the assistantdirector of the Big CypressRecreation Department. As thegames coordinator and emcee, hewas using a tape to measurewhich seeds were spitthe furthest. He wascaught by surprise, thenlaughed. Soon everyoneelse was laughing too.The wayward seed wentout of bounds.There were many agecategories and the seed-spittingcontest lasted a few hours.Later in the day came the watermelon-eatingcontest. The eager contestants may have had bigappetites but eating low-calorie watermelon is goodfor the health. It’s high in lycopene, vitamin A andpotassium, according to the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture (USDA). Lycopene issaid to cut the risk of developing some cancers.All day long some very special cars,trucks and motorcycles were on view. Residentsstrolled past specialty vehicles owned by Tribalcitizens from several reservations. Men checkedunder the hoods and talked car talk. Women lookedat the leather seats and fancy features.The show vehicles were in four basiccategories: trucks, cars, off road dirt bikes/ATVsand motorcycles. Parked in rows at one end ofthe field, the vehicles were so highly waxed andpolished they shone in the sun. Judges chose firstthroughfifth-place winners in numerous classifications.At the end of the day, special trophies weregiven for best of show in three categories: the soundoff (quality of the sound system), the paint and theinterior.The recreation department produced thissuccessful and timely event at the height of thewatermelon season for the Big Cypress community.It was a hit. The parking lot was full and vehicleswere lined up and down the reservation road. Listsof the many winners for all games and contests areavailable at the Big Cypress Recreation Department.Photos by Susan Etxebarria