We moved to North Carolina twenty years ago, and I've heard people raving about Ridgeway cantaloupes every summer.
This past Monday, we both had the day off of work, so we drove north to Warren County and the rural community of Ridgeway. We found produce stands along the road, and we stopped at one a family had in their front yard. Not only did they have great cantaloupes for sale, they were an incredibly nice and friendly family.
One of the most exquisite tastes ever to come out of North Carolina is the Ridgeway cantaloupe. The third Saturday of July every year, Ridgeway hosts their Cantaloupe Festival. The "Slice of Life Celebration" is an all day event, with fun and games, arts and crafts, revisiting history, country music with plenty of southern country eating, and activities for families and the public to enjoy. The festival is sponsored by the Ridgeway Historical Society and the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Department. Ridgeway is located on U.S. 1 between Henderson and Norlina.
We missed the festival by one week this year, but it will be on our calendar next July.
I like my cantaloupe sprinkled with ground black pepper.
