March 1, 2023 - Shelby County’s own Olivia Johnson has received a national title as she was crowned the National Watermelon Queen at the 108th Annual National Watermelon Convention in Asheville, North Carolina on Saturday, February 25, 2023.
“Lots of my friends in high school, and when I was younger, liked to refer to me as the ‘Watermelon Queen’ and now I’m the National Watermelon Queen. I guess they were kind of predicting my future,” joked Johnson, as she spoke with Shelby County Today.
Queen Olivia Johnson is the 21-year-old daughter of Mr. Shelby and Renee Johnson, and in her lifetime she has been rooted in the watermelon industry through the sixth generation farm family of which she is a part.
“Given that I have worked at my family’s local produce stand, Johnson Produce in Center Texas, since I was five years old and that I was the East Texas Watermelon Queen in 2018, and then Texas Watermelon Queen in 2022, this is just a great opportunity to promote an industry that means so much to my family and I,” said Johnson. “I truly enjoy meeting the different growers, educating consumers and getting to travel and meet with different people that are part of the watermelon industry.”
Queen Olivia was one of seven contestants vying for the title of National Watermelon Queen. She was accompanied by her father Shelby Johnson, mother Renee Johnson and her sister Jenny Johnson. They were all so thrilled with Queen Olivia’s achievement.
“My dad definitely shed some tears when my name was announced,” said Johnson.
The competition is very involved and each of the contestants had a variety of challenges to address as they participated in the event.
“The pageant is very much in a job interview format, you do a speech competition, an interview with a panel of judges, a video interview, an impromptu question, a promotional wear competition and then an evening gown competition,” said Johnson.
Not only was there competition, but Johnson shares that a sisterhood was developed amongst those who participated in this challenge.
“It definitely was fun getting to meet with other state association members that I hadn’t gotten to meet as Texas queen, all the girls that I competed against we referred to ourselves as ‘Watermelon Sisters’ and it was our last time to be together while competing against each other for the national title,” said Queen Johnson.
Now that Johnson has earned the national title, she has a list of additional responsibilities to the watermelon industry, through the National Watermelon Association, for which she is proud to represent.
“As the National Watermelon Queen I’m the promotional ambassador for the National Watermelon Association,” said Johnson. “I educate the public on watermelon’s health, value and versatility benefits.”
She explained that as watermelon queen she will participate in promotions and events anywhere watermelon is featured which can include media, schools, festivals, parades, tours and other state conventions. Anything that involves watermelon, she will get to attend as National Queen.
“The past national queen, she did over 100 promotions and got to travel all the states that grow watermelons, she also got to go to California,” said Johnson. “My first event as National Watermelon Queen is March 5th through 11th and I’ll be attending the North Carolina Watermelon Association Convention.”
Johnson described the conventions as a gathering of all the association members, which also will include their own pageants to crown their new state queens.
“The traveling is pretty consistent, but at each event it can go from a three day event, a one day event, I get to attend many different things that I have sponsorship for,” said Johnson. “I just get to promote an industry that means so much to my family and I, and that I hold near and dear to my heart.”
Queen Olivia, and her family, are well known in Shelby County for their participation in the East Texas What-A-Melon Festival Biggest Watermelon competition where she has won eight times.
Johnson is now a Senior Nutrition Major at Texas A&M, and after graduation she hopes to work in the watermelon industry. She was a Biology major when she became the Texas Watermelon Queen, and after visiting with her advisor and industry members, she says she learned nutrition would be the best major for her to eventually work in the watermelon industry.
“As National Watermelon Queen you get to meet with so many different companies, whether those are packers, or farms, feed companies and so you get a lot of job opportunities as National Watermelon Queen,” said Johnson.
Queen Olivia is very enthusiastic about what experiences lay ahead for her as National Watermelon Queen.
“I’m going to love it, I loved my time as Texas Queen and now I just get to do it even more as National Queen,” said Johnson
One event she mentioned being on her schedule is Nascar, because the watermelon industry has a spokesperson who represents watermelon at the Nascar level.
To accompany Queen Olivia on her journey, follow the National Watermelon Queen on Facebook and Instagram.
