A slice of tradition: Growing the annual Watermelon Festival

RUSSELLVILLE — Emily Mays has called Franklin County home for most of her life. Having only left her hometown for a short stint during college, in some ways, Mays grew up with the annual Franklin County Watermelon Festival, which is now in its 44th year.

“You know, it’s such a cherished tradition for our county as a whole, but also for visitors,” she said. “It’s definitely what I would call a legacy festival, because it really anchors Franklin County. People know where Franklin County is because of that festival.”

As an attendant for many of those years since the festival began, Mays has enjoyed the traditions that return with the event year after year. Since she began volunteering as an organizer, however, she’s started to see the festival in a new light.

“Until you get involved in a capacity like this, you really just don’t even have the same thought process — until you realize what all takes place behind the scenes,” she said. “This all comes together thanks to the directors, community members and our Junior Leadership Class — everyone who gives their own personal time to make it a memorable event for our community and visitors. Seeing what happened behind the scenes was a big surprise to me. You know, none of it just happens.”

Those behind-thescenes duties include every small decision from the festival’s T-shirt design to larger tasks like budgeting and negotiating contracts for entertainers who headline the free concert every year, she added.

Mays first joined the board of directors for the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce — the organizing body responsible for the Watermelon Festival — in 2019. As the marketing director for Community Spirit Bank in Russellville, she said she was encouraged by her employer to get involved.

“They’re big believers in being community oriented and civic minded,” Mays said. “That’s a very important part of our mission. I was really unaware of what the chamber did before I started serving, so I’m thankful I got that opportunity. They encouraged me, so that’s really how all that started.”

Now in her second term on a volunteer board of about 19 members, Mays said the directors are involved in organizing and assisting with other community events around Russellville, Vina, Spruce Pine and Phil Campbell.

One of her favorite parts of serving on the board; however, is getting to work with the high school students accepted into the chamber’s Junior Leadership program.

The 10-month program invites Franklin County students to apply in their sophomore year. Those who are selected begin serving in June before their 11th-grade year, Mays explained. The program is designed to enhance the students’ skills in leadership, professionalism and communication by getting them involved in community service projects around Franklin County.

“I’m so encouraged by those high school kids every year,” Mays said. “I love to hear their ideas and listen to their thoughts on their futures, and I’m so encouraged watching them take part in things that help them become better leaders.”

Mays said the students get involved with the Watermelon Festival every year as well. She and her fellow board members include the students in discussions about areas where they can improve on the festival for the next year.

“Helping in something like the festival definitely helps them hone those leadership and communication skills,” Mays added. “A lot of them, as they are finishing up their Junior Leadership year, will mention that they had no idea what all it takes to put on a festival of this size in Franklin County.”

Mays said she’s also happy to help spread awareness through the student leaders about some of the festival’s lessattended activities, like the free watermelon tastings on Saturday morning.

“That is a component that I think a lot of people miss out on because they’re so focused on the entertainment in the evenings,” she said. “They miss the fun of the seedspitting contest in the middle of downtown, and they don’t get to taste the top three watermelons and how wonderful those delicious flavors are.”