Chamber Executive Director Christy Burns shared her excitement for this year’s festival, saying, "We are eagerly preparing for an exceptional festival this year. We warmly invite everyone to join us for a weekend of fun, festivities, and, of course, refreshing ice-cold watermelon."

The Kidz Zone will once again be a highlight of the festival, featuring inflatables, camel rides, and new attractions, ensuring endless fun for children of all ages. Other festival attractions include the antique engine show, Watermelon Olympics, car show, cornhole tournament, softball tournament, Watermelon Idol, fishing derby, dog show, and the ever-popular watermelon eating and seed spitting contests. A new addition to this year's schedule is the Melon Jams Open Mic, set to take place on Friday night.

Attendees can look forward to a diverse array of vendors offering a variety of goods and the food truck area, which will be brimming with delectable treats. Vendor spaces are still available, and applications can be found at hopemelonfest.com.

The festival will culminate with a live performance by country music star Rodney Atkins on Saturday night. Tickets for the concert are available for purchase at the Hope-Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce or online at hopemelonfest.com.

For complete festival details and updates, please follow the 48th Annual Hope Watermelon Festival event page on Facebook.

For more information, contact the Hope-Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce at [email protected], call (870) 777-3640, or visit us in person at 201 S. Main St., Hope, AR