Spencer Priddy’s farm sits on 24 acres in Bartlett, Tennessee. When the tree farm where his family got their yearly holiday tree in Millington closed, he thought, “I can do that.”
That was 23 years ago. Priddy has created a successful pumpkin and Christmas tree farm by researching best practices and proper planning. He started getting requests for a summer event and decided to roll out the inaugural Watermelon Festival this year. The summer festival features giant waterslides, bounce houses, a petting zoo, hayrides, and watermelons.
Animals like the watermelons, too. Be sure to share some with Chocolate Chip, Oreo, Clara Belle, Sherman, Dolly the Llama, and Pork Chop — just some of the miniature horses, pigs, and assortment of other friendly farm animals. Some of the animals are even rescues, like Nigerian goats, Biscuit and Butter. And some have unlikely allies like Mr. Peabody and Ms. Scarlett, a pair of peacocks who share their pen with a white rabbit.
“You can take a train ride to the watermelon patch,” says Priddy as he motions to the back 20 acres. “But it’s not really watermelon season around here yet. We brought these watermelons in for the festival until ours ripen.”
The festival has a garden gnome theme and is open Wednesday-Sunday through August 15th.
“Call me patriotic,” says Priddy. “We stuck some flags in our summer decorations, too.”
Fall will be here soon enough, and Priddy is busy planning a new corn maze for the upcoming season to add to the Haunted Woods attraction.
Watermelon Festival, Priddy Farms, 4595 N. Germantown, Bartlett, Tennessee, July 1-August 15, Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Friday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m, Saturday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m., free-$8.
