Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Watermelon Festival Draws Near

Long before Hope produced its current bumper crop of governmental chief executives, it was famous for its huge and tasty watermelons.

Who knows? Maybe it was something in the watermelons that made political achievers out of Hope natives President Bill Clinton and Governor Mike Huckabee.

The 22nd annual Hope Watermelon Festival, to be held August 13-16 in the city's Fair Park, will provide an excellent opportunity to test that theory.

Ice-cold melon will be on sale for 50c a slice and whole melons will be offered by several area growers.

The festival's wide variety of activities and live music are expected to draw in excess of 50,000 visitors over its four days, according to Mark Keith, executive director of the Hope- Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce.

The festival will feature more than 250 arts and crafts booths, Keith said, which will open daily at 9 a.m., except for Saturday, August 15, when they will open an hour earlier.

Highlights of the festival's opening day will include a Kiwanis barbecued chicken supper from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Fair Park Coliseum; a dog show at 6 p.m. at the rodeo arena; and a modern rock performance by PAIL on the Citizens National Bank (CNB) stage at 7:30 p.m.

A Lions Club Fish Fry will be held from 3:30 to 7 p.m. on Friday, August 14, in the Fair Park Community Center, while the Watermelon Olympics will be held behind the CNB stage from 6 to 8 p.m. Keith said previous Olympics have included events such as a three-legged race with contestants required to carry a watermelon.

Musical performances scheduled for Saturday, August 15, include a fiddling contest from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the park's Girl Scout Hut; Gov. Mike Huckabee and Capitol Offense (rock) at 11 a.m. and The Ambassadors (gospel) at 1 p.m., both on the CNB stage; the Tonk Edwards Quartet (jazz) on the CNB stage at 7 p.m.; and the Friends of Louisiana, formerly Spicy Cajuns (Cajun and Zydeco) on the First National Bank (FNB) stage at 7 p.m.

Other Saturday night highlights include a decorated melon contest from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Brookshire's Tent, a melon weigh-in and auction at 10 a.m. in the tent, and contests for watermelon eating at noon and seed-spitting at 1p.m. both on the FNB stage.

Also on Saturday, the Chocoholics Delight, an all-the-chocolate-you-can-eat event, is scheduled for the coliseum. Other Saturday events will include the watermelon 5K run/walk, the melon mile kids' fun run and sack racing, a hula hoop contest and a money in the haystack search for kids.

The Melody Boys, a well known Little Rock gospel group, will be featured in concert from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, August 16, on the coliseum stage.

Other festival events will include a co-ed volleyball tournament, an invitational softball tournament, an archery contest, a baseball card show, hot air balloon and train rides, antique car and antique engine shows, and a vintage bike show and swap meet.

Admission to the festival is free, Keith said, although there is a $2 fee for parking on the festival grounds.

A complete festival schedule is available on the Internet at the Hope-Hempstead County Chamber's website (www.hopemelonfest.com).

For additional festival information, contact the Keith at 870-777-3640, by writing P.O. Box 250, Hope, AR 71802, or by e-mailing hopeark@akransas.net.

The chamber is also a good source on other Hope area attractions, including the birthplace and childhood homes of President Clinton and Old Washington Historic State Park.