CELEBRATING THE HISTORY
OF EASTERN OREGON
7
CULTURE & HERITAGE
AUG. 17�24
Celebrate summer’s sweet melon
Hermiston’s Melon Fest
is Saturday, Aug. 20
By Lisa Britton
Go! Magazine
HERMISTON — It’s time to break out
your most creative watermelon-themed
costume for Hermiston’s Melon Fest on
Saturday, Aug. 20.
If you don’t want to dress up, Melon
Fest off ers plenty of other activities — in-
cluding slices of fresh Hermiston water-
melon.
“Hermiston is noted for Hermiston wa-
termelons being juicy and sweet. They’re
famous,” said Judy Pederson, president
of Hermiston Downtown District, which is
organizing the festival along with the City
of Hermiston and Hermiston Chamber of
Commerce.
And August is the time for these ripe
melons, donated by Bellingers, Pollock and
Walchli.
“August is the best time to open a mel-
on,” Pederson said. (She should know —
she is a member of the watermelon-grow-
ing Walchli family and said she’s “eaten
watermelon since I was born.”)
Melon Fest runs from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on
Hermiston’s Festival Street.
Activities throughout the day include
free face painting (watermelon themed, of
course), a photo booth, games for kids, an
obstacle course, food and craft vendors
and free watermelon.
“We give out free watermelon slices all
day long,” Pederson said.
Melon Fest started in 2019, then
skipped 2020. A scaled-back version
happened in 2021.
“This year we’re going all out,” Pederson
said. “We provide a fun family celebration.
It’s a fun day.”
CONTESTS
Those who want to enter the water-
melon costume contest should be ready
at 10 a.m. Prizes will be awarded for fi rst,
second and third places. This is open
MELON FEST
9 a.m.: Entertainment by Jonna
Kopta
10 a.m.: Watermelon Costume
Contest. Open to all ages. Prizes
awarded for fi rst ($300), second
($200) and third ($100).
11 a.m.: Music by Dallin Puzey
11 a.m.: Watermelon Seed Spitting
Contest
11:30 a.m.: Gems Cheer Royals
Performance
Noon: Watermelon Bathtub Races
Hazel Huber,
1, wears a
watermelon-
themed hat
during the
2019 Melon
Fest in
Hermiston.
Staff photo by
Kathy Aney
to all ages.
“That’s so popular,” Pederson said of
the contest. “People are so creative.”
The watermelon seed spitting contest
starts at 11 a.m., and at noon teams will
try their skills in the watermelon bathtub
races where one person sits in a tub full
of water and is pushed around a course
by the rest of the team.
“It’s action, fun, wet. It’s awesome,”
Pederson said.
ENTERTAINMENT
Jonna Kopta will start the entertain-
ment at 9 a.m., and Dallin Puzey will start
playing live music at 11 a.m.
Explore
2006 4th St. La Grande, OR 97850
541-962-1339
LIBRARY HOURS:
Monday - Friday 10:00am - 6:00pm
Saturday 10:00am - 4:00pm
www.cookmemoriallibrary.org
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• Artisan Market
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