Watermelon Festival gears up for return
EDITORIAL -- FEATURE SPOT, Editorials, Opinion, Z - TOP HOME
 By  Staff Reports Published 
2:42 pm Friday, July 9, 2021

Watermelon Festival gears up for return

Last year is one, we think we can safely say, none of us would want to live through again.

We lost so much. We missed so much. If there is a thin silver lining, hopefully that loss has made us more aware of the things we value in life and will encourage us to treasure them even more.

For us, one of those things is Franklin County’s community festivals, and we’re so glad they’re back in 2021.

The biggest one is coming up quick: the Franklin County Watermelon Festival.

A little more than a month stands between the citizens of Franklin County and our beloved Watermelon Festival.

The coronavirus stole the 2020 festival from us, but it’s back, and we couldn’t be more delighted or excited for the 40th installment of this summer favorite.

Most of us see the Watermelon Festival as the must-not-miss event of the summer. Hosted by the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, this annual gathering is the highlight of August; the highlight of the season; maybe even the highlight of the entire year.

We want to encourage you to mark your calendar right now and plan to attend.

From the car show and tractor show to the live music and watermelon contests, there truly is something for everyone to enjoy. So many people put in so much time and effort behind the scenes to make this a spectacular family-friendly event, with the widest possible range of activities and attractions, that it would be a real shame to pass it up.

It can be tempting to think “Oh, I don’t know if we’re going to go this year. There’s always next year.”

But as we have now learned, next year is not a guarantee.

We need to take advantage of this opportunity for fun community fellowship and not let it pass us by.

We definitely want to extend our appreciation to the multitude of hard-working folks who are now in full festival-planning mode, working every minute to see this year’s event go off without a hitch.

Aug. 20-21 will be packed with Franklin County fun – not to mention tons of juicy watermelon. The streets of downtown Russellville will be flooded with artists, craftsman, vendors, families, food, music, classic cars, pageant queens – the list goes on.

We can’t wait to be among them.

If you don’t make time to attend, you are bound to regret it. Plan now to buy your T-shirt, block off that weekend on your calendar and make your plans.

We hope you’ll join your friends, neighbors and visitors from near and far for the annual Franklin County Watermelon Festival.

Also on Franklin County Times
Tiffin Motorhomes to produce new line
Main, News, Red Bay, ...
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
February 18, 2026
RED BAY — Tiffin Motorhomes is slated to open a new production line in Red Bay, according to Tiffin’s parent company, THOR Industries. Beginning May 1...
Dealer: Gold content not suitable for everyday use
Main, News, Z - News Main
By Addi Broadfoot For the FCT 
February 18, 2026
The push for a new $2.50 anniversary coin is raising logistical and economic questions, particularly about whether such a coin could be used in everyd...
Red Bay approves $3.6M budget
Main, News, Red Bay
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
February 18, 2026
RED BAY – City officials are expecting a slight decrease in sales tax revenue for the upcoming fiscal year but anticipating a larger general fund budg...
$5K TVA grant to bring student podcasting program to RES
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
February 18, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Elementary School students will soon be recording podcasts, interviewing community members and exploring career paths in a program bein...
State is overlooking qualified local leaders
Columnists, Opinion
February 18, 2026
When I was elected to the Alabama State Senate in 1978, I was 39 years old. Now at the age of 87, when I go out in the community, I meet people who re...
Opinion: Here and Now – White to perform March 7 at the Roxy
News, Russellville
HERE AND NOW
By Susie Hovater Malone Columnist 
February 18, 2026
By Susie Hovater Malone Columnist There is something special about a night out in a small town. People run into neighbors. They make a plan instead of...
Accessible basketball completes year 2
News, Russellville, Sports
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
February 18, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Fifteen players took the court over four Saturdays at the Ralph C. Bishop Center for this year’s round of accessible basketball games. ...
Belgreen team wins Spark Tank contest
News, Russellville, Russellville Golden Tigers
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
February 18, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE Fourteen teams from three high schools pitched business ideas and competed for cash prizes during the second annual Franklin County Spark...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *