A Summertime treat, the Dresden Melon Festival, is this Saturday, August 4th. This all-day event has been a staple in the community since its revival 11 years ago.
The event was brought back to life in 2007 by Dave and Donna Mathew, along with Bob Lane who was the mayor at the time. The Dresden Melon Festival continues to celebrate the areas rich melon growing tradition. 500 People attended the first event but since then this family-friendly event’s attendees have tripled. Attractions have also multiplied since the early years.
The festival is run by The Friends of the Dresden Parks (FODP), a non-profit organization created five years ago by Dave and Donna. It is the FODP’s mission to promote and improve area parks and to provide support to other local organizations and causes. An impressive $25,000 has been raised by the group to fund community projects including the installation of power and lights to the river park, and the completion of the new river park pavilion. The core group of roughly twelve committee members work both causes simultaneously, year-round, and contribute countless hours to make events like the Dresden Melon Festival a success.
There are several other individuals besides the committee who come together to make the festival possible. The committee is thankful for the support of area businesses and organizations who faithfully support the event each year with generous donations.
The FODP committee and board members meet the first Monday of every month. Information can be obtained on the Facebook pages for both the FODP and Dresden Melon Festival. You can also visit dresdenmelonfestival.com or send an email to abbytig@gmail.com.
