The Odd Law That Bans Watermelon in This U.S. Public Park

Turns out watermelon rinds can cause more trouble than you’d think.

Let’s set the scene: it’s a blazing summer day, your cooler’s packed, you’ve got a sweet, juicy watermelon sliced up, and you’re headed to the park with your friends. Bliss, right? Well, if you’re in Beech Grove, Indiana, you might want to pump the brakes. That mouthwatering melon could make you an outlaw.

Yep, really.

This cozy suburb just outside Indianapolis—population around 15,000—looks like your classic slice of small-town Americana. But behind the picket fences and friendly waves lies one of the strangest food laws to ever exist: no watermelon allowed in public parks. Not in a "please be tidy" way. In a “seriously, don’t do it” kind of way.

Why? It all comes down to… trash bags.

According to a 2017 report from local news station WRTV, Beech Grove officials confirmed that several years earlier, the city decided enough was enough. The watermelon rinds—deliciously innocent to us, apparently destructive to city trash bags—were tearing holes in the liners and making a mess. Rather than switch up their waste management game, they reportedly just banned watermelon in parks entirely. Logical leap? Debatable. Iconic? Definitely.

Stranger still, no one seems to know where this law is officially written. It’s the kind of civic mystery that makes you squint and say, “Wait, is this real or just small-town legend?” But ask the locals, and you’ll get the same answer: The watermelon ban is real.

Now, before you cancel your summer picnic plans, here's the juicy twist: this law is rarely, if ever, enforced. As far as anyone can tell, no one’s been cuffed over cantaloupe—or cited for slicing up a watermelon. Local cops have better things to do, and honestly? Same.

If you do decide to risk it, at least make sure your melon is worth it. Here’s the simple two-finger trick to pick the sweetest watermelon.

So if you're in Beech Grove and feeling rebellious, go ahead: eat that watermelon. Just maybe pack out your rinds and leave no trace. (And if anyone asks, you didn’t hear it from us.)