Dresden Melon Festival this weekend

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – This Saturday is the 10th Annual Dresden Melon Festival for all to enjoy.

The Dresden Melon Festival use to be an annual event, which ended in the 1970’s and according to Dresden Mayor Dave Matthew the event started again when Dresden’s last mayor Robert Lane asked Matthew and a few others to start it up again.

“The Jaycees had it, had horse pulls, a lot of events, and music,” Matthew said. “It was kind of end of the summer before the kids go back to school, when I remember going to them. So we made an attempt at it and it was a great event. The park is just beautiful and it really gathered a lot of energy.”

Events are happening at Dresden River Park located at 48 East Muskingum Avenue Dresden Ohio from 6:00 A.M. until 11:00 P.M. There’s a $1.00 admission fee until 4:00 P.M. then there will be a $2.00 admission fee. All proceeds will go towards the Friends of the Dresden Parks, projects.

According to Matthew the Friends of the Dresden Parks is a non-profit organization that raises money to keep the parks up to date and have added features.

“Right now we’re building a new picnic shelter in the river park,” Matthew said. “It’s about a $20,000 project that wouldn’t have happened without them and it helped the village by doing some income labor, money from The Friends of the Dresden Parks and then the Nature Works grants. So pretty exited about all that.”

Photo Provided By: Abby Tignor

Mayor Matthew said the most poplar event is the Melon Derby at 1:30 P.M. While there will also be fishing, a festival prince and princess contest, and melon growing contests. For more information visit dresdenmelonfestival.com.