Watermelon Slice

Muscatine, Iowa, a Mississippi River town known for growing watermelons, put a giant slice of one on its riverfront in 2023. The local news site Discover Muscatine reported that the sculpture was lifted into place by crane on Wednesday 20 September 2023 at Millennium Plaza. It arrived by rail: KWQC reported that a Canadian Pacific Kansas City flatcar carried it from Silver Hawk Fabrication, whose fabricators created it, to a foundation in Riverside Park. A local artist, Johan Umana, painted it. Discover Muscatine gave its size as 40 feet long and 16 feet tall, 26 feet when tilted, and 16,000 pounds. Visit Muscatine says the 'unofficial' World's Largest Watermelon Slice stands on the riverfront a short walk from Pearl City Station, and is lit in the evenings. Mayor Brad Bark told KWQC the project went through several committees, the city council, the parks and recreation and public art commissions, and that donations and in-kind support from about 15 entities paid for it without city taxpayer funds. Umana had painted a couple of murals in town, and Discover Muscatine reported the sculpture was his first piece on display along a riverfront. The mayor described the foundation as a collaboration between the city and local firms. Discover Muscatine quoted Umana saying he likes public art because "all people have access to it". A June 2025 travel article still lists it as a roadside photo stop, and the Greater Muscatine Chamber's September 2026 notice for a riverfront market mentions a photo spot by it.