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According to Warren Mitcham, Peach and
Melon Festival chairman, despite recent upheaval -- including the
relocation of the Festival offices and the absence of longtime
executive secretary Betty Terrill -- this year’s Festival will proceed
as normal.
“There have been some changes,” Mitcham
said, “but everything is going on just as it has in previous years.”
Mitcham said that although the Festival
Committee appreciates Terrill’s many, many years of dedication to the
Festival, committee members recently voted, as a whole, to ask Jaye
Golden to finish up the preparations for this year’s event. Ashley
Davis, Golden’s daughter, has worked in the office for the past few
weeks, and will continue to do so.
The Festival office relocated, from it’s
shared office space with the DeLeon Chamber of Commerce, last month,
to an address directly across the street at 132 S. Texas St. “But the
number is still the same (893-6600),” Mitcham said, “and anyone can
reach Jaye at that number.”
The dates for the Festival this year are
August 7-8-9-10 and 11.
Tuesday, August 7, events include the
Kiddie Tractor Pull, and the selection of Little Miss DeLeon and the
Peach and Melon Festival Queen.
Little Miss contestants include Savannah
Flora, K’Leigh Hardin, Dayannira Inman, Nayeli Jimenez, Taylor Mahan,
Alexia Melendres, Jaclynn Pierce, Chloe Scott, Bethany Sones, Macee
Steigleder, Vanessa Talamantez, Kailson Brinson and Vanessa Pierson.
Queen contestants include Latisha Kay
Abbey, Kimberly Hope Arnold, Courtney Megan Caraway, Mercedes Amanda
Chupp, Candace Rose Houston, Kendra Howard, GeorgeAnne Landreth,
R’Leigh McLearen and Maci Williams.
Wednesday’s highlights include judging of
4-H cake entries at the Reunion Center, Judging of fruit entries at
the Festival stage, a parade at 7 p.m. and the melon auction at 9 p.m.
on the Festival stage.
Thursday night at 7 p.m. the Tractor Pull
starts, and at 8 p.m. Gene Williams and Wheels will perform for a
dance at the Festival stage.
On Friday night the Tractor Pull fun will
continue, and a “Spanish Dance” featuring Tony Guana will begin at 9
p.m. at the Festival stage.
Saturday, August 11, features a full day
of fun, including the Melon Patch Tour (registration at 7 a.m.); the
“42” Tournament (registration at 8 a.m.); Golden Saturday activities,
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Ex-students Meeting, 10 a.m.; Garden Tractor Pulls,
Mini-Rod Pulls (downtown), 11 a.m.; Spaghetti Lunch (Senior Citizen
Center), 12 noon; Seed Spitting Contest, 3 p.m.; Melon Slicing, 5
p.m.; Tractor Pull, 7 p.m.; dance featuring Calvin Milburn Band, at 9
p.m., and the presentation of Miss DeLeon, 10:30 p.m.
And, of course, the carnival is scheduled
for the full week.
Even though there are rumors that there
will not be enough local watermelons (due to the weather) for the free
downtown melon slicing, Mitcham said the event will proceed as usual.
“We will definitely have a watermelon
slicing downtown,” he said. “In fact, every part of the Festival will
proceed as usual. Everybody’s working hard, and getting it all
together, and I think the Festival will be as good as it’s always
been.”
Committee members also plan to hold a
drawing for a weed-eater and blower, as well as a drawing for a 10 ft.
trailer. Tickets are $2 each. Queen contestants are also selling
tickets for a chance to win $300.
The drawing will be held Saturday night
and ticket holders do not need to be present to win.
In addition to Mitcham as chairman, other
committee members include Bobby Winkles, assistant chairman, Treasure
Mailloux, treasurer, Carissa Barrett, Bobby Campbell, Cathy Campbell,
Ruby Carlisle, Avery Carlisle, Johnny DeLatorre, Junior Gerth, Jaye
Golden, Richard Gonzales, Dotty Hare, Ted Hodges, Rhonda Howard,
Matthew Iley, Jackson Jobe, Heath Matteson, Bubba McCurry, Walter
McCurry, Dovie Withers and Nick Hyden. |
