WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2022
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HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A9
OUTSKIRTS IRRIGON
Hermiston Herald, File
Brooke Toler and Nikki Phillips serve up plates of melons during the 2016 Irrigon Watermelon Festival. This year’s event is Saturday at Irrigon Marina Park.
Irrigon prepares to host a summer party
perintendent this year.
Watermelon Festival
coming July 30
BY ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Herald
The countdown is on for the
2022 Irrigon Watermelon Festi-
val, and organizers are bustling
with excitement.
“This is our 38th year,” Char-
lene Cooley, the event’s program
director, said. “Yes, we’re excited.”
The annual event, which takes
place this year on July 30, typi-
cally includes a breakfast, parade,
games and more. Entertainment,
a car show and a street dance are
part of the fun, too. Activities
center on Marina Park, 430 8th
Street N.E., Irrigon.
Cooley said the festival focuses
on a similar theme every year —
community. Several local civic
groups take part in the event, she
said. Some of the town’s churches,
businesses and school organiza-
tions, too, participate.
These groups, she said, orga-
nize games, food and entertain-
ment for the festival. Thanks to
their efforts, Cooley said, the
festival is a busy day of activities.
A SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
She said the festival starts at
6:30 a.m. at the park with a big
breakfast.
The parade is an early high-
light.
Irrigon Watermelon Festival/Contributed Photo
The Irrigon Watermelon Festival is
Saturday, July 30, 2022.
At 10 a.m. the parade runs
through Irrigon, going down
Columbia Lane, North First
Street, N.E. Main Avenue, 12th
Street and ending at the en-
trance to the park.
Local school cheerleaders,
firefighters, sheriff’s deputies
and other groups are typically
represented, she said. How-
ever, she added, the parade is
not limited to those people. As
the parade is a celebration of
the town, it includes all sorts of
people.
“Anyone who wants to be in
the parade is welcome,” Cooley
said.
Registration to participate
in the parade starts at 8 a.m. at
Stokes Landing Senior Center,
195 Opal Place, Irrigon.
One special person is plan-
ning to take the parade’s lead.
Dirk Dirksen is scheduled to
be the grand marshal. Dirk-
sen retired as the Morrow
County School District su-
FESTIVITIES AT THE PARK
At the completion of the pa-
rade, celebrations continue at
Marina Park.
“We have lots of foods, lo-
cal crafts, vendors and more,”
Cooley said three weeks prior to
the event. “I think I have over 30
vendors so far.”
She added that the car show,
kids games, boat rides and more
provides fun for just about
anyone. There is also a co-ed
softball tournament, hosted by
Friends of the Irrigon Library.
By noon, she stated, the live
entertainment opens. The fes-
tival’s Facebook page lists Zac
Grooms at noon, Olivia Harms
at 4:30 p.m. and Sky Dogs per-
forming, too.
It also states that there will be
a beer garden 4-8 p.m. during
the evening entertainment.
At 9 p.m., Desert Sounds
Entertainment is scheduled to
start a light show and DJ perfor-
mance.
A PROUD COMMUNITY
Cooley stated that the Wa-
termelon Festival is the “one big
event that Irrigon has.”
“People come home for it,”
she said. “It’s a celebration of
community and something that
people look forward to, remem-
ber and come back for.”
Irrigon Watermelon Festival/Contributed Photo
Kids dressed up to promote the 35th annual Irrigon Watermelon Festival. The coming festival will be the
38th celebration.
Come
W ELCOME
Umatilla is waiting
or trails,
kay
Come work up an appetite hiking the
Umatilla is waiting or for
Tie
kayaking you…..
the rivers. Then feast on
the yo
fin
TO
I RRIGON
for you…..
Tie your boat up at the dock and relax
th
of at
our
of our many hotels. And plan now to
be her
Landi
Landing Days Festival, the 4th weekend in J
Irrigon Watermelon Festival
AFTER PARTY!
July 30th
Parking lot of the Rustic Truck Bar & Grill.
Music starts at 7:30 pm with
THE COREY PETERSON BAND and we will be
ending the night with the WADE AYLETT BAND!
COME AND ENJOY GREAT FOOD, DRINKS, AND MUSIC!
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US-730,
Irrigon,
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1411 6th Street, Umatilla, OR
City of Irrigon
Morrow County, Oregon
A NEIGHBORLY COMMUNITY PROVIDING SAFE , QUALITY OF LIFE OPPORTUNITIES
541-922-3001
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490 NE Main Ave, Irrigon, OR 97844
541-922-0138 • Tuesday-Friday 10am - 6pm
Fresh Fruit
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Year round coffee kiosk with espresso, smoothies,
teas and seasonal fruit stand from June-Sept
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