The 50th Annual Melon Festival happened at Riverbend Park on September 14th through the 16th, 2018. This year’s festival was a success and according to Clay Caldwell, of the Festival Association, “[the] official gate count was 1,500 more than last year.”

From mud volleyball to raffles, the festival had something so everyone could have fun. Mr. Caldwell told us, “As an organizer, I would say the older people most enjoyed the late-night entertainment. The younger people enjoyed the kids’ games and activities.” I would have to agree with Mr. Caldwell. When I was there, it looked like there were more adults in the evening and more children during the day.

This year’s festival included a parade featuring former Melon Festival queens and princesses. Mud volleyball returned this year and seemed to be a hit. New this year was a firework show that was definitely a blast. The festival association had planned to have a carnival at this year’s festival, but it fell through. Mr. Caldwell stated that they will try to bring the carnival back at next year’s festival.

The Melon Festival is one of our town’s oldest traditions and Mr. Caldwell and the Festival Association hope to keep it going. Mr. Caldwell informed us that it takes a full year to plan the event. If you would like to be involved in helping to keep this tradition alive here is what Mr. Caldwell suggests. “The community can help by donating their time to help with different aspects of the festival. Businesses can help by donating funds. Be positive, not negative.” The Festival Association will start to plan next year’s festival starting in October. If you would like to be involved, please stop by their meeting. The Festival Association meets on the first and third Mondays of the month.

Gallery • 9 Photos

Alexis and Savanna Levering show off their equestrian skills during the parade.