Contributed by Ed Lewandowski.

Cut-off buses full of watermelons seen traveling the back roads and busy byways in southwestern Sussex County, DE are synonymous with summers in this part of the state. These buses are used to transport the watermelons from the field to the auction and packing houses for sale and transport to points across North America. Many of these watermelons find their way to Laurel’s farmers’ market, also known as “The Block,” which was founded in 1940 and is the oldest produce auction market on the East Coast.

The inaugural WATERCOLORS will be a single-day, community event held on July 16 (rain date July 17th) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Janosik Park in downtown Laurel. The event will feature a collaborative art activity to paint a watermelon bus owned and operated by DMC Farms. All are invited to attend. Artist John Donato will lead volunteer participants in painting a bus in a style that reflects Laurel’s rich heritage and culture as a center for watermelon production, harvest, processing and sales.

This rolling mural will provide interpretive landscape scenes with historical and present day elements, including agricultural compositions, signs, roadways, flora, wildlife, ponds, and other community-centric subjects reflective of the Laurel area. The artwork will be engaging and relevant to community members and visitors by using a colorful and whimsical style that integrates collections of the key character points and community initiatives into the scenes, activities, and messages of the characters developed.

This one-of a kind mural vehicle will leave a legacy to be shared by the entire community. The novelty of a painted watermelon bus may also attract tourists to Laurel who are interested in participating in the painting event or simply viewing this unique spectacle. The event also has the potential for significant growth over the years as additional painted buses might be added to the fleet. A larger, painted bus or watermelon festival involving a competition, entertainment, and other complimentary activities could be a future outcome from this inaugural event.

Aggressive community revitalization efforts have been underway in Laurel, DE over the past several years. A number of projects and activities have been initiated and/or completed to bring people and jobs back to downtown Laurel. The idea to paint a watermelon bus surfaced during a community branding process conducted in Laurel in early-March 2016. Ben Muldrow, principal with Arnett Muldrow & Associates, captured the idea generated by the community members and created the initial watermelon bus visual and event title, which were included in his final report for a recommended community brand for Laurel. This event idea and imagery inspired a local group of community stakeholders and partners to organize the mid-July event.