Watermelon Festival events, contests offer something for everyone

The evening entertainment lineup at each year’s Franklin County Watermelon Festival is always a crowd favorite, especially with a country music superstar like Tracy Byrd headlining this year’s Saturday night slate of talent.

But there’s so much more to the Watermelon Festival than just great music.

It’s a two-day smorgasbord of fun and it’s all free, courtesy of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce and the generous sponsors of each year’s festival. Royal Jubilee Sponsors, the highest level of sponsorship available, for 2026 include Sen. Larry Stutts, Rep. Jamie Kiel, CB&S Bank, Tombigbee Electric Cooperative (Freedom Fiber) and Mar-Jac.

In addition to the evening entertainment, there are other fixture events each year sure to appeal to most folks.

The annual Watermelon Festival Car & Truck Show, presented by the Russellville High School Marching Hundred Band Parents’ Association, will take place Saturday, August 15th, from 7 a.m.-noon on South Jackson Avenue.

Registration begins at 7 a.m., with an entry fee of $25 per car and $15 per car for each additional entry. The registration tent will be located in front of CB&S Bank on the south end of the Watermelon Festival lineup.

Awards will be presented in several categories and door prizes will be given away hourly.

For more information on this year’s Car & Truck Show, you can contact Jill Harper at 662-661-0411.

If you’re looking to burn some calories before gorging yourself with a delicious funnel cake or footlong sausage dog, the Watermelon 5K Run might appeal to you.

The 5K is presented by the Russellville High School Cross Country Program as a fund raiser. The run will take place the morning of Saturday, August 15th at Russellville High School and will begin at 7:30 a.m. Immediately following the 5K Race, there will be a 1 Mile Fun Run.

Registration remains open and the cost is $30 for the 5K and $25 for the Fun Run. Runners who participate in both receive a discounted registration fee of $10 on the Fun Run.

Participants who signed up by August 1st are guaranteed a t-shirt, and t-shirts will be distributed to those who sign up after August 1st while they last.

You can sign up by visiting https://runsignup.com/Race/AL/Russellville/FranklinCountyWatermelonFestival5KAnd1MileFunRun.

Another crowd favorite on Saturday is located at Russellville First Baptist Church Park, 201 Washington Avenue NW, where free watermelon will be given away. The FBC Park will also host several watermelon-themed contests, with registration from 10a.m.-11a.m. The contests include: Largest Weighing Watermelon from Franklin County, Largest Weighing Watermelon (Outside Franklin County), Most Unusual Watermelon, Best Tasting Watermelon, Best Dressed Watermelon and the Seed Spitting Contest.

Judging begins at 11 a.m.. The Seed Spitting Contest begins at 11:15 a.m., and all winners will be announced and prizes distributed at 1 p.m.

All this plus block after block of booths offering crafts, festival food, rides and games for children and some providing information on services and businesses in Franklin County.

Make plans to fill the weekend of Friday, August 14th-Saturday,l August 15th at the 45th Annual Franklin County Watermelon Festival, where there’s something for everyone to enjoy!