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
Dowdy sentencing delayed due to medical emergency
News, Russellville, Z - News Main
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
January 7, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — The sentencing of Brandy Dowdy will have to wait until another day after her defense attorney suffered a “medical emergency” on Tuesday...
Legislative session opens Jan. 13; Kiel prefiles 2 bills
Main, News, Russellville, ...
By Addi Broadfoot For the FCT 
January 7, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE -- State Rep. Jamie Kiel has prefiled two bills ahead of the 2026 Alabama legislative session. The bills, which will be considered when l...
Hollimon reflects on 40 years in education
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 7, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE – Dr. Deanna Hollimon always felt she was called to be an educator. After 40 years as a teacher, reading coach, administrator and educati...
Firefighters train for vehicle rescues
News, Russellville, Z - News Main
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 7, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — City firefighters trained last week on how to stabilize overturned vehicles and remove trapped occupants. Fire Chief Joe Mansell said t...
Neighbors helping neighbors, one soda pop tab at a time
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
January 7, 2026
Most people don’t think twice about the small aluminum tab on top of a soda can. But those tiny pieces of metal have quietly helped families stay clos...
2025: A year of results for Alabama families
Columnists, Opinion
January 7, 2026
The past year has certainly been a memorable one — and, more importantly, a rewarding one. Beginning the year by leading the Laken Riley Act through t...
Author’s collapse was motivation for comeback
News
Chelsea Retherford For the FCT 
January 7, 2026
When Pete Key collapsed on the bathroom floor in 2024, it didn’t feel like a turning point. It felt like an ending. He had been sick for days — dehydr...
Phil Campbell’s Elliott hits 1,000th career point
High School Sports, Phil Campbell Bobcats, Sports
Bart Moss For the FCT 
January 7, 2026
The Phil Campbell Bobcats kicked off the 2026 calendar year in style Saturday night, securing a decisive 54-37 victory over the visiting Belgreen Bull...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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