Franklin County Watermelon Festival gears up
PHOTO BY SOMMER MORRIS - Oliver Morris gets ready for watermelon fun.

Franklin County, News, Russellville, Z - News Main, Z - TOP HOME
 By  María Camp Published 
8:18 pm Wednesday, August 9, 2023

Franklin County Watermelon Festival gears up

Now in its 42nd year, the Franklin County Watermelon Festival is a longtime favorite. This year’s festival takes place Aug. 18-19 in downtown Russellville. The festivities kick off Aug. 18 at 6:45 p.m. with the opening ceremony.

Reigning Watermelon Queen, Silvie Miller, will cut the first watermelon of the festival. 
 Friday’s musical entertainment features Tremayne at 7:00 p.m. and Velcro Pygmies at 8:30 p.m.

Saturday’s musical lineup features Rewind at 6:00 p.m., Austin Bohannon at 7:00 p.m. and Colt Ford at 8:30 p.m. 
 Other activities include contests, vendors and a car show.

The Franklin County Watermelon Festival car show takes place August 19 from 7:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., with prizes awarded throughout the day. For more information, call 256-412-5724. 
 A 5K and one-mile fun run will take place August 19 at 7:30 a.m., with registration at 6:45 a.m. at the Russellville High School field House. 5K registration is $25. One-mile registration is $20.

The event is hosted by the RHS cross-country team. The one-mile fun run takes place immediately following the 5K. 
 Additional festival features on Saturday include character guests from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., as well as contests and watermelon in the park from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

The Roxy’s “Dancing through the Decades” starts at 10:00 a.m. and runs through 5:00 p.m. Among the featured groups are Addie’s Flip Tip and Tap and Tara Greenhill’s students. Tickets cost $5 for one show or $10 for a day pass.

Also on Franklin County Times
Ex-day care owner faces 27-count indictment
Main, News, Russellville
Kevin Taylor For the FCT 
October 15, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — The former owner of a Red Bay day care center where a 4-month-old died in March 2022 is now facing a manslaughter charge after a Frankl...
AI policies stress proper use over prohibition
Main, News
Alyssa Sutherland For the FCT 
October 15, 2025
Sheffield City Schools’ policy regarding student use of artificial intelligence (AI) at the start of the 2025-26 school year limited the use of the so...
Faith, family and resilience are keys to cancer survival
Main, News, Phil Campbell, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
October 15, 2025
PHIL CAMPBELL — Ten years ago, Melissa Stancil faced a diagnosis that changed her life. Today, she’s not only a survivor of Stage 3 breast cancer but ...
Gilmer fulfills dream competing on ‘Jeopardy!’
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
October 15, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — Russellville native Slade Gilmer fulfilled a lifelong dream when he competed on “Jeopardy!” in an episode that aired Oct. 7. Gilmer liv...
Police among state’s first certified departments
News, Russellville, Z - News Main
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
October 15, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — The city’s Police Department is one of the first 12 departments to earn professional accreditation through the Alabama Association of C...
We must break China’s grip on defense supply chains
Columnists, Opinion
October 15, 2025
China’s Xi Jinping appeared supremely confident at a recent military parade in Beijing with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. Xi’...
DKG international president visits Russellville
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
October 15, 2025
When educators gather, there’s always something to learn, and this month our local Delta Kappa Gamma chapter, Alpha Upsilon, heard directly from the t...
More than laughs: Improvising for life’s situations
News
Chelsea Retherford For the FCT 
October 15, 2025
When most people hear the word “improv,” they might think of the quickwitted antics of “Whose Line is it Anyway?” But David Grissom, a veteran comedy ...

Leave a Reply

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