The 65th annual Melon Festival in Howell, Michigan, kicks off Aug. 14-18, but preparations are already underway to create the famous melon ice cream. 

"It's a lot of ice cream," said Sandie Cortez, the chair of the Howell Rotary Club ice cream effort. "We sell over 2,000 or close to 2,000 family size, which is like a half gallon."

Cortez said the ice cream is made with Howell melons, specifically cantaloupes, and is made locally by Guernsey Farms Dairy. Cortez said what's special is the consistency.    

"It's just creamier, so it's not as hard as like a vanilla ice cream that you'd buy in the store, but it's not a sherbet," she said. 

Cortez said it takes 60 to 75 volunteers working multiple hours to prep and package all the melon ice cream ahead of the festival. 

"What's really cool is we're really bringing the community together to pack the ice cream too, so it gives students and other organizations volunteer opportunities before the event even happens," she said. 

Preorders for the local favorite end on Aug. 8.