Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Watermelon Festival Is This Weekend In Hope

There's something so refreshing about ice-cold watermelon on a hot day. Perhaps that's one reason why thousands of people head for this southwest Arkansas city each year for the annual Watermelon Festival.

This year's festival will take place August 14-17 and you can be assured there will be plenty of ice-cold watermelon for sale. The festival, which is held at the city's Fair Park, is in its 21st year. More than 50,000 people are expecdted to attend, says Mark Keith, executive director of the Hope-Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce.

While there will be plenty of watermelon to eat, that's just one of the festival's offerings. More than 250 arts and crafts booths will be open each day beginning at 9 a.m.

A barbecue chicken dinner will be served by the Hope Kiwanis Club from 5 tp 7 p.m. Thursday, August 14, at Fair Park, followed by a performance by the Dowden Sisters from Mountain View at 8 p.m.

On Friday, August 15, the festival continues with such activities as the Watermelon Olympics at 6 p.m. featuring teams sponsored by local businesses. In addition, there will be volleyball and softball tournaments and at 4 p.m. the Hope Lions Club will host a fish fry. Entertainment will include the Spicy Cajuns playing Cajun and zydeco music at 7:30 p.m. and The Ambassadors gospel group at 8 p.m.

The big day is Saturday, August 16. It will get under way with a 5k run at 7:30 a.m. At 10 a.m., an old-time fiddling contest will begin, followed by a highlight of the festival -- the watermelon eating contest at noon. At 1 p.m., the watermelon seed-spitting contest will take place.

Also scheduled are a horseshoe tournament, a hoola-hoop contest, sack races, an arm wrestling contest, an antique engines show, a baseball card show, a decorated melon contest, and the melon mile fun run for children.

Musical entertainment on Saturday includes Dave McKensie and Addie Grey, who will perfrom acoustic folk blues at 1 and 4 p.m., respectively; Bruce Webb and Mountain Dew at 2 p.m.; John Weston who plays acoustic blues at 5:30 p.m.; and The Nighthawk band at 7:30 p.m.

On Sunday, August 17, the festival will conclude with a gospel concert featuring The Men of Music from 1 to 4 p.m.

Festival admission is free. Look for the watermelon-shaped signs directing you to Fair Park on Arkansas 174.