Bring back memories of home

By Staff
Melissa Cason
This weekend was my first trip to the Franklin County Watermelon Festival.
Last year, my first summer at the paper, I had a broken foot that kept me at home during the festival. But, this year, I got to go.
I have been looking forward to the festival since June. I can tell you that I wasn't disappointed.
But, attending the festival reminded me of my youth, and time I spent at the Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival, which is held in my hometown of Warren, Ark. every June.
I used to love the Pink Tomato Festival, which celebrated the incoming crop of Bradley Pink Tomatoes, which is a brand of tomato only grown in Bradley County, Arkansas.
I must admit that I never really understood the purpose of having a festival in honor of a tomato, but I did understand that the festival meant going to the fair, which was part of the festival, and going to the town square where all the vendors would set up, and live music would play.
My friends and I would begin making plans to attend the festival as soon as school let out for the summer.
We'd always go to the fair on Friday, and then the parade on Saturday. On Saturday night, we'd all go the square and hang out. We'd dance to the live music and eat ice cream.
The festival was the destination for several of my dates over the years. It was pretty great.
But, in life, nothing can stay the same, and unfortunately, this is true for the tomato festival.
My ten-year reunion was held in conjunction with the festival a few years ago.
So I went home for the festival. It's still going, but there's no fair and it has lost a lot of its appeal. Surprisingly there wasn't much to do so we left.
I was really disappointed that the festival wasn't as good as it used to be.
But the county can turn it around in a snap with determination and a lot of hard work.
So who knows? The next festival could be better than ever.
Going to our Watermelon Festival reminded me of how it used to be, and how much I miss home.
Not the home now but the home in the then-when I cruised the Sonic, C-Way and car wash; the place that will never be the same no matter how many times I visit.