What to Know
- Watermelon Food Festival at Tanaka Farms in Irvine on Sept. 2 and 3 (the farm is closed Labor Day Monday)
- Free admission; food, drinks, and Melon Tours (advance reservations are required) are available for an additional price
- Complimentary melon samples are part of the tasty fun
No one is telling you to step away from the pumpkin-scented desserts, the pumpkin-luscious libations, or those tantalizing tidbits that possess pumpkin panache.
It is now September, otherwise known as the Pumpkin Zone, and fans of fall flavor should indulge as much as they like.
But September is also still a part of summer, officially and inarguably, and the sunny summer season? It is most definitely simmering through Labor Day Weekend.
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So when a Watermelon Food Festival rolls into view in early September, and it boasts all sorts of refreshing, juicy, super-light bites, well, we are ready to put our pumpkin proclivities to one side, at least for an afternoon.
Tanaka Farms is the perfect place for this delicious gathering, a two-day celebration that will feature all sorts of sweet foodstuffs, from Watermelon Agua Fresca to Watermelon Popsicles.
Entry is complimentary, as are melon samples (there'll be a number of different types), but do show with funds if you'd like to chow down, enjoy some sips, or join one of the Irvine farm's popular Melon Tours.
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Oh, and good to know: You'll want to book your tour ticket in advance, as these appetizing outings can and do fill up.
And if you really need some pumpkin magic in your life — it is September, after all — be cheered: The farm's popular patch o' pumpkins opens on Sept. 16. There are specials and discounts honoring the agricultural destination's 25th anniversary, too.
