Not content with eating, cooking and bowling, organizers of Fallon's 21st annual Hearts of Gold Cantaloupe Festival have found a new way to torture fruit - chunk it.
The first Kent's Cantaloupe Chunkin' Competition will involve arms, slingshots and catapults in chunking melons as far as possible in the parking lot of the Churchill County Fairgrounds, where the festival will take place.
The more-athletic contestants will fling the melons shot-put style; other, more creative contestants will build slingshots and catapults or trebuchets to make the fruit fly.
"People have been chunkin' pumpkins for a long time," said Rick Gray, executive director of the Fallon Convention and Tourism Authority. "So from that idea, it morphed into doing it with cantaloupes. Eventually, we would like it to be the world championship cantaloupe-chunking contest."
In the catapult/trebuchet category, the participants will be judged on who comes closest to the target, 300 feet away. The entry fee is $25, and the winner will get $500 in prize money. Gray said there were six catapult entries.
For the slingshot shooters, it will cost $10 to enter, and the prize is $150. For this and the human-powered contestants, the winner will be the one who flings the farthest, with no target to worry about. The thrower who can hurl a cantaloupe the farthest wins a trophy.
Gray said there will be a slingshot for kids that was built by members of the Navy.
"So if they don't build one, they can still see what it's like to shoot a cantaloupe with a slingshot," he said.
The new event is sponsored by Kent's Supply Co. in Fallon, which is providing prize money and trophies.
Other events at the fair include a variety of live music, including karaoke and a battle of the bands; animal acts; a hypnotist; carnival; rodeo and a backyard-grilling contest. There will be jousting, car shows, antique tractors, crafts and food - especially cantaloupe dishes.
In addition to chunkin', there will be cantaloupe ice cream and daiquiris, a cantaloupe-eating contest and even cantaloupe bowling.
"The farms had a banner year with cantaloupes this year," Gray said. "The season was extremely hot, and that's what cantaloupes like."
• Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111. ext. 351.
If you go
WHAT: Hearts of Gold Cantaloupe Festival
Admission: at the gate $5 adults, $3 ages 3-12
Advance Tickets: Full festival, 4-day passes: $10 for adults, $6 ages 3-12
Call: (775) 423-2544 or 1-800-874-0903
Sept. 1
MAIN STAGE
5Ð5:30 p.m. - Swan Brothers 2-man Circus
6-7 p.m. - Extreme hypnotist Barry Jones
7:30 p.m.-12 a.m. - Open Youth Karaoke
MULTIPURPOSE BUILDING (All four days)
10 a.m.Ð9 p.m. - Arts, quilts, crafts, exhibits
COTTONWOOD ANNEX BUILDING
10 a.m.Ð8 p.m. - Table-decorating displays, photo show
FESTIVAL GROUNDS
5 p.m.Ð10 p.m.- Motorcycle Show
CARNIVAL (All four days)
5 p.m.- midnight
Sept. 2
MAIN STAGE
10:30Ð11 a.m. - Swan Brothers 2-man Circus
NoonÐ1 p.m. - Extreme Hypnotist Barry Jones
1Ð1:30 p.m. - Cowboy poet Larry Maurice
2Ð2:30 p.m. - Swan Brothers 2-man Circus
3:30-4:30 p.m.- Extreme hypnotist Barry Jones
5:30-8 p.m. - Heartache Tonight
9 p.m.-midnight - California Cowboys
SECOND STAGE
Wildlife Wendy - three shows
FESTIVAL GROUNDS
9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. - Classic car show
11:30 a.m.Ðnoon, 2:30Ð3 p.m. and 6Ð6:30 p.m. - Lights, Camera Animals
12:30Ð1:30 p.m., 4:30Ð5:30 p.m. and 7-8 p.m. - Cook's Racing Pigs
KIDS AREA
2-2:30 p.m. - Cantaloupe bowling
3:30Ð4 p.m. - Cantaloupe-eating contest
GROUNDS:
9 a.m. - Mud volleyball
DRY GULCH
11:30 a.m. - Rabbit show
LIVESTOCK SHOW RING
11:30 a.m. - Goat show
10 a.m.-10 p.m. - Mule display
ARENA
11 a.m.- 5 p.m. - Lions Club Junior Rodeo
8Ð9 p.m. - Jousting show
Sept. 3
PARKING LOT
1Ð4 p.m., - Kent's Cantaloupe Chunkin' Contest
MAIN STAGE:
10:30Ð11 a.m. - Swan Brothers 2-man Circus
noon-1 p.m. - Extreme hypnotist Barry Jones
1Ð2 p.m. - Mariachi Cazadores
2Ð2:30 p.m. - Swan Brothers 2-man Circus
3:30-4:30 p.m. - Extreme hypnotist Barry Jones
5:30-8:30 p.m. - American Made
9 p.m.ÐMidnight - Karaoke finals
SECOND STAGE:
Wildlife Wendy - three shows
4-6 p.m. - Cool River Trio
7 p.m.-Midnight - Battle of the Bands
FESTIVAL GROUNDS
9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. - Open Car Show
11:30 a.m.Ðnoon, 2:30Ð3 p.m. and 6Ð6:30 p.m. - Lights, Camera Animals
12:30Ð1:30 p.m., 4:30Ð5:30 p.m. and 7-8 p.m. - Cook's Racing Pigs
KIDS AREA
2Ð2:30 p.m. - Cantaloupe bowling
3:30Ð4 p.m. - Cantaloupe-eating contest
ARENA
8 a.m.Ð5 p.m. - Lions Club Juniior Rodeo
7 p.m.-9 p.m. - Mule and wagon show
GROUNDS
9 a.m. - Mud volleyball
DRY GULCH
10:30 a.m. - Cavies judging
5:30-7 p.m. - Sponsor Appreciation Night
LIVESTOCK SHOW RING:
2 p.m. - Sheep show
Sept. 4
MAIN STAGE
10:30Ð11 a.m. - Swan Brothers 2-man Circus
11 a.m.-noon - Little Cowboy and Little Cowgirl Contest
12:30Ð3:30 p.m. - American Made
4-4:30 p.m. - Swan Brothers 2-man Circus
5Ð6 p.m. - Extreme hypnotist Barry Jones
SECOND STAGE
Wildlife Wendy - three shows
Noon-1 p.m. - Karate demo
2Ð5 p.m. - Used 2 B's
FESTIVAL GROUNDS
10 a.m.Ð3 p.m. - Louie's Ace Home Center's Backyard Grillers Championship Set-up
11:30 a.m.-noon, 2:30Ð3 p.m. and 4-4:30 p.m.- Lights Camera Animals
Noon-1 p.m., 3Ð4 p.m. - Cook's Racing Pigs
3-5 p.m. - Louie's Ace Home Center's Backyard Grillers Championship
ARENA
8 a.m.Ð2 p.m. - Lions Club Junior Rodeo
KIDS AREA
2-2:30 p.m. - Cantaloupe bowling
3:30Ð4 p.m. - Cantaloupe-eating Contest
DRY GULCH:
10 a.m. - Poultry judging
LIVESTOCK SHOW RING
Noon - Dairy cattle show
SOUTH ACCESS ROAD
11:30 a.m.Ð5 p.m. - Antique tractor show