A bounty of delicious fruits will be celebrated at festivals throughout Texas this summer, and travelers will find something to sink their teeth into at one of these juicy events.

Fruit may be the star of these shows but these events offer a variety of entertainment with something for everyone to enjoy. Yoakum honors its tomato heritage with the Tom Tom Festival June 5-7, which includes a tomato cook-off along with arts & crafts, barbecue cook-off, rodeo and more. Jacksonville's 25th Annual Tomato Festival June 13 features salsa, tomato-eating, tomato mashing and tomato peeling contest; plus an antique car show, 5K run, fishing tournament and more. Avery's Tomato Festival July 4 offers a Most Beautiful Dressed Tomato Contest, Best Tomato Hat Contest, and a farmer's tomato and vegetable market, together with a rodeo, team roping, lawnmower racing, fireworks and more.

There are several other fruitful summertime celebrations throughout the state. Travelers can enjoy blueberry farm tours along with delicious blueberry fare and other activities at Nacogdoches' 20th Annual Texas Blueberry Festival June 13. Watermelon plays a role at a number of July 4 celebrations but takes center stage at Luling's Watermelon Thump June 25-28, Center's What-a-Melon Festival July 10-11, McDade's Watermelon Festival July 11, Hempstead's Watermelon Festival July 18 and Naples' Watermelon Festival July 24-25, and De Leon's Peach and melon Festival Aug. 3-8.

Learn more about these and approximately 1,200 other events in the Summer 2009 Texas Events Calendar. This statewide guide to what is happening in June, July and August includes festivals, Juneteenth celebrations, Fourth of July events, parades, rodeos, cook-offs, fishing tournaments, market days, theatrical performances, bicycling events, concerts, museum exhibitions and more.

To obtain a free copy of the Summer 2009 Calendar, call 1-800-452-9292 or write to Texas Events Calendar at P.O. Box 14929, Austin, Texas 78714-9249. The Calendar may be picked up at any of the 12 Texas Travel Information Centers or viewed online at www.txdot.gov/travel by clicking on Travel Publications. Events also are listed online at www.traveltex.com and www.texashighways.com. For more information contact Julie Stratton at 512-486-5876.