Cantaloupe Festival celebrates 39th year in Lahontan Valley

After 39 years of showcasing Churchill County’s role in agriculture, the annual Fallon Cantaloupe Festival and Country Fair keeps expanding its offerings to become of the state’s premier events that highlights the coveted cantaloupe and other types of locally grown fruit and vegetables in addition to showcasing what the area offers.

From its early days in the mid-1980s, the festival features the highly desirable Hearts of Gold Cantaloupe, a delicious melon that consumers smack their lips to savor its sweet taste. Not only have the recently cantaloupe festivals placed the spotlight on the Hearts of Gold but now other melons and a country fair have made Fallon the place to be for three days this weekend beginning with opening day on Friday at 1 p.m. at the Rafter 3C Complex (formerly the fairgrounds).

Zip Upham, chairman of the festival board, and Samantha Horning, secretary of the board and the exhibit hall and vendor director, have been putting in the hours and days along with Executive Director Adrienne Snow and the County Fair’s chair Sue Frey to make this year’s festival one of the best events in the four decades the festival has put Churchill County on the map.

TICKETS

Both Upham and Horning encourage visitors to take advantage of obtaining their tickets on the website. Patrons can save as much as $5 for a weekend pass. The tickets are Day-Adult, online $12/box office $15; Day-Child, online $8/box office $8; Weekend Adult, online $20/box office $25, and Weekend Child, online $9/box office $12. Go to https://www.falloncantaloupefestival.com/and select “More” to save money and time.

HOURS

Event hours are Friday from 1 p.m. to midnight, and Saturday from 9 a.m. to midnight. Gates open at 9 a.m. on Sunday, and the festival ends at 5 p.m.

PARKING

Upham said the Nevada State Police is warning visitors not to park on Sheckler Road because of safety concerns.

“It’ll be stop sign to stop sign, Sheckler at U.S. 95 to Allen Road,” both Upham and Horning said regarding the no parking directive.

To accommodate festival goers, Upham said the main parking lot in front of the Rafter 3C Arena can accommodate several hundred vehicles, and a parking lot on Miners Road behind the outside arena and Rafter will provide additional spaces. He said carts will provide rides for from the parking lot to the festival grounds.

Motorists are strongly urged not to use the parking lot across Sheckler Road at Churchill County High School. The school will be hosting a football game on Friday night, and Upham said no road guards will be provided between the high school and the Rafter 3C Complex. He added there will also be no road guards on Saturday and Sunday.

Steve Ranson/LVN, file

The Fallon Cantaloupe Festival is expected to have 131 vendors this year. The festival opens Friday at 1 p.m. at the Rafter 3C Complex.

 

VENDORS

As of late last week, the festival has signed up 131 vendors, and Horning said the range of vendors includes merchants, political groups, service organizations, food, non-for-profit groups such as the Churchill Animal Protection Agency and the city of Fallon’s animal shelter. The county fair portion also has craft and art vendors.

Both Upham and Horning said this week has been busy since Monday. The festival began receiving exhibit items such as quilts, drafts, sewing projects, woodwork and metal work. Wednesday marked the day when all foods were due, and cut flowers and vegetables must be turned in on Thursday.

“The judging is done the day after in-take except Thursday,” Upham pointed out.

The process decides who receives a Best of Show, Judge’s Choice or a first-place ribbons.

EXHIBITS

Upham said many of the exhibits will be displayed at the Barrel House, which is the multi-purpose exhibit hall located at the northwest corner of the festival grounds.

Favorite beverages with a cantaloupe taste will be available at the Beer Garden, but at a different location from previous festivals.

“No alcohol will be sold at the Dry Gulch,” Upham said, “It (the Dry Gulch) will be the Agriculture Experience. The Farmers Market will be near the Dry Gulch.”

Upham said the festival will still have its famous cantaloupe margaritas, but a different vendor is selling the vibrant drink.

“It’s going to be great stuff,” Upham added.

Near the Barrel House will be youth organizations such as FFA, 4-H and The Grange. The Saddle Born Broncs will be putting on a show in the main arena Saturday which is a qualifier for the Rough Stock Nationals.

Snow said the Ag Experience is attracting the University of Nevada, Reno and other organizations.

“The Ag Experience committee has done a great job in breathing new life into their activities,” she said.

Both Snow and Upham said the valleys heritage comes from the cantaloupe. Snow said local growers were asked to produce more cantaloupe for the festival, and productivity is up 65% in the valley.

ENTERTAINMENT

Later that night, Ward Davis, an American singer-songwriter from Monticello, Arkansas, will be performing at the Rafter 3C Arena. The married couple of Steve and Raena and local favorite Patrice Luciano, who appeared at last year’s festival, will warm up the audience for Davis who has had songs recorded by many entertainers in the music business.

In 2016, Davis co-wrote “I’m Not The Devil” with Cody Jinks, which went to No. 4 on the Billboard US Country Charts. His major debut 2015 album, 15 Years in a 10 Year Town, featured Willie Nelson and Jamey Johnson.

Tickets are available on the website (falloncantaloupefestival.com/tickets) or on the ticketing website at aftontickets.com/event/buyticket/el95nydn92.

The Twisted Branch will be the concessionaire at the Rafter 3C Arena for the musical programs on both Friday and Saturday nights.

Fallon’s own Sam Malcom, who now lives in Denver, will move around the festival grounds with his zany show of mixing humor with his juggling. Elsewhere around the festival grounds, Anabelle Foreshee and the Lincoln Highway Band will perform at the pavilion, and Eric Anderson/Nine Days is slated for the Rafter arena.

Upham said a band called Metalachi will bring a distinct sound to this year’s festival.

“These guys play heavy metal music, but they’re a Mariachi band,” Upham explained.

Metalachi plays at 5 p.m. on Saturday at the Pavilion.

“Metalachi is not your mama's mariachi band,” wrote Julian Gill of the Houston Chronicle.

The Phoenix New Tomes added, “They combine the humor of Steel Panther, the flamboyant of GWAR, and the eclectic rawness of Rob Zombie. There’s also a little dose of Spinal Tap and a hit of Cheech & Chong.”

For those wanting the thrills associated with carnival rides, the festival will have rides and games for both young and old.

Dishwaslla cancelled last week due to serious illness within the band. They were scheduled to play Friday night. Two great bands are still slated to play, but the festival aims to deliver a fantastic Friday experience by offering this performance as a free show to those who purchased a general festival ticket.

FUNDING, VOLUNTEERS AND SPONSORS

Upham and Horning said the annual Fallon Cantaloupe Festival receives donations and grants and also derives funding from ticket sales. Upham said volunteers come from many local groups, Naval Air Station Fallon and the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center. He said Banner Emergency Services will provide emergency medical technicians on site.

This year’s major sponsors include CC Communications, the flagship sponsor; the City of Fallon and Visit Fallon; New Millennium; Walker River Disposal; Churchill County and the Churchill County Sheriff’s Office.

Snow said the festival has steadily grown.