We hope you took the opportunity to enjoy this weekend’s 40th annual Watermelon Festival. Although severe weather threatened the festivities, there was still plenty of fun to be had, and we know many of you enjoyed continuing the tradition.

For a large portion of our community, months are spent preparing and looking forward to this yearly community event. Although it’s a lot of fun, it’s also a lot of work – and now that it’s over, you might be breathing a sigh of relief. Mission accomplished!

But as with the conclusion of any major event, be it Christmas, a big trip or a birthday party, there can be a sense of letdown when all the fun is done.

After a hearty adrenaline spike, the blues can roll in quick and heavy.

Never fear. We have some good news for you: Festival season has only just begun.

The Phil Campbell Hoedown and Vina JulyFest have taken place already, and of course Jam on Sloss Lake is past, but the rest of Franklin County’s biggest annual events are still to come.

Whether you’re a lover of local live music, a craft vendor selling your creations, a nonprofit group hoping to get donations or share information or someone who loves every bit of the community festival spirit and atmosphere, there is plenty to look forward to this fall.

Mark your calendars now for Red Bay Founders Day, Sept. 25; Spirit of Hodges Festival, Oct. 9; Spruce Pine Day, Oct. 16; and Pumpkin Palooza, Oct. 30.

The events are well-established in Franklin County and offer many of the same things we all love about the Watermelon Festival, particularly given they share the same cornerstone: community togetherness and fellowship.

Don’t let the end of the Watermelon Festival get you down. Festival season is just beginning.