David Nail Featured Artist at Hope Watermelon Festival 2014

One of my favorite festivals is almost here. The 38th Annual Hope Watermelon Festival begins August 7 and runs through August 9 in Hope, Arkansas.Besides great food and the biggest melons in the state there will be plenty of arts & crafts with just about everything under the sun. There will also be lots of live entertainment with the Jason Helms Band and a Saturday performance by country star David Nail. Also on Saturday, be sure to check out the Watermelon Idol Finals and the Politically Correct Watermelon Eating Contest that will feature local and regional politicians.

For more information go to hopecamberofcommerce.com and for schedule of events.

David Nail is getting ready to kickoff his first headlining 'I'm a Fire Tour' in September in Oxford, Mississippi. So, I guess you could say we're getting to see him warm up for his big tour in Hope. With hits like 'Red Light', 'Let It Rain', and 'Whatever She Got' already under his belt and opening up for some pretty impressive artists Nail is ready to show he has what it takes to headline is own show. His newest single 'Kiss You Tonight' is already rising up the country music charts.

Here's the video.

Watermelon History

Watermelons have long been a calling card for the City of Hope. The Festival itself dates back to the mid-1920's when the city's Chamber of Commerce staged a one-day Festival each year. The early Watermelon Festivals bear little resemblance to the recent ones. During the 1920's-era festivals, citizens served ice-cold watermelon to passengers on the many trains which stopped in Hope. The festival also featured a "Watermelon Queen" pageant and a large parade. These early festivals brought upwards of 20,000 people in a day to Hope. The end to the first festivals came about 1931 when the city, suffering from the effects of the depression, could no longer accommodate the crowds.

Local promoter and newspaper man C.M. "Pod" Rogers organized a new Watermelon Festival in 1977. The success of this first reorganized festival led to the event gaining annual status. Since the 1970's, the festival has continued to grow, attracting approximately 50,000 visitors to Hope over a four-day period.

Here's more videos from David Nail.

Arkansas musician Barrett Baber and winner of the Arkansas.com Song Competition will be the opening act. He is awesome!!! Listen to Kicker 102.5 to win tickets to see the concert!