Byrd, Baugh to headline 2026 Watermelon Festival

This year’s Franklin County Watermelon Festival will feature two country headliners, a rising star on Friday night and a household name (with his trademark household anthem) on Saturday night.

The 2026 festival will be held in downtown Russellville August 14th-15th.

Evening entertainment on Friday and Saturday is, as always, free to attendees. And both nights will also include a lineup loaded with local musical talent.

Tracy Byrd was recently announced as the Saturday headliner and Maggie Baugh will headline the Friday night main stage.

Byrd broke onto the big time country music scene in 1993 with his debut album selling more than 500,000 copies.

Byrd released his second album the following year and landed his first Billboard number one song, with “Holdin’ Heaven.”

The fourth song Byrd released on the album, “Keeper of the Stars,” helped album sales reach the rare Double Platinum Status, with more than two million sold.

The song also earned the Academy of Country Music’s Song of the Year for 1995.

And any Byrd concert certainly features the foot-stomping anthem, “Watermelon Crawl,” one of his 30 Billboard charted hits.

Saturday night’s lineup begins with Brody Nix at 5:30pm, Tremayne at 6, Rewind at 7 and Byrd takes center stage at 8:30.

Baugh has built her brand through a savvy social media campaign that includes her popular TikTok series, “Finish the Lick,” that helped her get more than 40 million views across social platforms.

Her debut album, “Dear Me,” reached #19 iTunes on the United States country album charts, earning praise from Keith Urban, who invited Baugh to join him on tour as his utility player. 

She released her second album last year and Baugh has a full slate of tour dates, performing everywhere from the Grand Ole Opry stage, the historic Ryman Auditorium, a rodeo in Birmingham, United Kingdom to downtown Russellville on August 14th.

Before Baugh takes the stage Friday at 8:30pm, Joseph Baldwin will open from 7-8:15pm, including performing the National Anthem at the Opening Ceremony at 6:30pm.

For more information on this year’s Franklin County Watermelon Festival, visit www.franklincountychamber.org, or the Watermelon Festival page on Facebook.