PHOTO GALLERY: Watermelon Festival
PHOTO BY MARÍA CAMP - Harlow-Anne Hayes enjoys watermelon. 
B: WATERMELON FESTIVAL, Franklin County, Galleries
By María Camp Managing Editor
 By María Camp Managing Editor  
Published 1:53 pm Wednesday, August 20, 2025

PHOTO GALLERY: Watermelon Festival

CONTRIBUTED/KAYLA TUBB 
Lyla Tubb has fun at the Franklin County Watermelon Festival.

 

PHOTO BY MARÍA CAMP – Miss Watermelon Queen Jaci Sha Sutherland cuts the ceremonial watermelon.

 

PHOTO BY MARÍA CAMP -Kennedy Evans, Khristina and Kase Cabaniss, Victoria Evans, Tyler and Abby Wilson and Charlie Evans have fun at the festival.

 

PHOTO BY MARÍA CAMP – Erica Cothrum, Susie Hovater Malone and Hillary Malone Hall sell sweet tea to help raise money for renovations and maintenance at the Roxy.

 

PHOTO BY MARÍA CAMP – Billy, Carson and Preston Patterson enjoy the festivities.

 

PHOTO BY MARÍA CAMP – Brandilynn Welborn and Dee Gresham having fun at the festival.

 

PHOTO BY MARÍA CAMP – Kelly Guthrie, Mike Slowinski, Russellville Chief of Police Chris Hargett, Payton Guthrie and Preston Scott.

 

PHOTO BY MARÍA CAMP – Queen Akari Rae Smith, 3 Years (June-December); Queen Kylie Mae Mather, 16-17 years; Queen Knoxlee Mae Taylor, 8-9 years; Miss Watermelon Queen Jaci Sha Sutherland, 18-21 years; Queen Savannah Nichole Austin, 7 years; Queen RubyAnn Glynn Sparks, 12-15 months, with her mother, Haley Sparks; Queen Elora Jane Galloway, 6-11 months, with her mother, Kaitlin Galloway.

 

PHOTO BY MARÍA CAMP – Kasey Sykes sees the sights at the Watermelon Festival.

 

PHOTO BY MARÍA CAMP – Kirby Schucker, Shiloh Madden, Nelly Juarez and Madi Willis are among the Junior Leaders who helped with this year’s festival.

 

PHOTO BY HARLEIGH BORDEN 
John David Jones greets Spiderman.

 

PHOTO BY MARÍA CAMP -Savannah and Chasity Austin take refuge from the rain.

 

PHOTO BY MARÍA CAMP – Hattie Belle and Hilary Henderson see the sights at the 2025 Watermelon Festival.

 

PHOTO BY MARÍA CAMP – Peyton, Brynlee, Jason and Erin Willingham enjoy the festivities at the Watermelon Festival.

 

PHOTO BY MARÍA CAMP – Brianna and Shea Thomas and Mandy Winstead enjoy festival food.

 

PHOTO BY MARÍA CAMP – Brian, Regina and Jennifer Griffin check out the cars in the Watermelon Festival car show.

 

PHOTO BY MARÍA CAMP – Will, Shayna and Emmeline Bragwell, Dax Wimberly, Waylon and Nolan Bragwell enjoy the festival treats.

 

PHOTO BY MARÍA CAMP – Brandon and Carter Frost look over the offerings at the Watermelon Festival in downtown Russellville.

 

PHOTO BY MARÍA CAMP – Kaitlin, Elora and Casey Galloway wait for the opening ceremony to start.

 

PHOTO BY MARÍA CAMP – Sydney Medley and Ruby Ann Sparks wait out rain during the opening ceremony Friday night.

 

PHOTO BY MARÍA CAMP – Kim Clonts sings the “National Anthem” during the opening ceremony.

 

Miss Alabama enjoys watermelon and signs autographs.

 

Sherry and Gaddy Thorn wait out the rain inside the church.

Also on Franklin County Times
Russellville to host MLK march on Monday
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 14, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — The Franklin County Martin Luther King Memorial Scholarship Committee is planning its annual commemoration march, which this year will ...
Career tech programs return to remodeled RHS building
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 14, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Students at Russellville High School returned from winter break last week to a newly remodeled and expanded Career Technical Education ...
Dowdy sentence delayed
Main, News, Russellville
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
January 14, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — The sentencing of Brandy Dowdy will have to wait until another day after her defense attorney suffered a “medical emergency.” Dowdy’s s...
MLK march is about ‘keeping the dream alive’
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 14, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — The Rev. B.J. Bonner was 11 years old in the summer of 1963 when the civil rights movement reshaped the South and communities across Al...
FCREA finalizes 2025, looks ahead to 2026
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
January 14, 2026
There are moments in our meetings that stay with you long after the chairs are folded and the dishes are washed. One of those moments came in November...
This year, let’s resolve to be more involved
Columnists, Opinion
January 14, 2026
Stop eating desserts. Go to the gym every day. Read 50 books this year. Learn a language. Start my retirement savings. Every year we make our resoluti...
RHS track looks ahead to state meet
High School Sports, Russellville Golden Tigers, Sports
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 14, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Russellville High School track athletes have posted multiple top 10 and top 20 section finishes this season, along with podium performa...
Vote of Red Bay budget delayed until February
News, Red Bay
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 14, 2026
RED BAY — City councilmembers will vote next month on the 20025–26 fiscal year budget. Mayor Mike Shewbart told the council last week the budget was n...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *