Nevada’s Longest-Running Agriculture Event Celebrates 32nd Year
Fallon Cantaloupe Festival and Country Fair Returns this Labor Day Weekend
Northern Nevada will revel in its abundant agriculture this Labor Day weekend for the 32nd anniversary of the Fallon Cantaloupe Festival and Country Fair presented by CC Communications taking place in Fallon Friday, Sept. 2 through Monday, Sept. 5. The state’s longest-running agricultural celebration showcases locally grown Hearts of Gold Cantaloupe, a farmer’s market stocked with fresh produce, educational demonstrations, children’s activities, the Lion’s Club Junior Rodeo, beer garden, live entertainment, and more.
“This is a great event for families to attend and see the abundance of agriculture that comes from our state, and specifically the Lahontan Valley,” states Robyn Jordan, Fallon Festival Association communications coordinator. “It’s a weekend in the country, learning about our state’s heritage straight from the source.”
Country music headliner Love and Theft kicks off the weekend with a performance on Friday, Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. in the event’s Main Arena. Concert tickets are $25 for general admission and $45 for VIP.
Among the live weekend entertainment included with the event’s $5 daily admission fee are Karen Quest’s Cowgirl Tricks, BMX stunt team demonstrations, a hula performance by Halau Hula ‘O Leilani and a cirque-style show by Le Cirque Vagabond.
Attendees can expect to see staple attractions like the interactive 4H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) animal barn featuring pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, rabbits, dairy cows, steers, and donkeys. As well, the Churchill County Farm Bureau and Nevada Department of Agriculture’s popular robotic dairy cow, Moolissa, provides a hands-on opportunity for attendees to learn to milk a cow.
New this year, the Aussie Kingdom brings a piece of the outback to the event by showcasing indigenous Australian animals like kangaroos and wallabies. In the High Desert Junior Grange tent, guests can check out an interactive Lego robotics display and the “World of Corn” show daily, plus an educational reptile exhibit on Saturday only.
There will be plenty of the famed golden melon to go around with a multitude of cantaloupe-infused beverages and food available. Additional melon-focused fun includes a Cantaloupe Chunkin’ demonstration with a trebuchet and a Cantaloupe King and Queen competition.
Attendees can find libations of any kind at the Old Dry Gulch Saloon, an Elks Club-sponsored beer garden, including offerings by Troy’s Double Shot Bar. Now in its 27th year, the challenging and fun Nevada State Championship co-ed mud volleyball tournament takes place Sept. 3 thru 5.
Tickets for the event cost $5 per day (free for children 10 and under) or $10 for the entire weekend. For more information and to view the event schedule, visit falloncantaloupefestival.com.
