September 16, 2026 3:30 a.m. 

The 58th annual Winston-Dillard Melon Festival will take place Friday, September 18th, through Sunday, September 20th, at Riverbend Park in Winston. This year’s theme is “Watermelon Wonderland.”

A release from festival organizers said the event is a longstanding Winston-Dillard community tradition. The first festival was organized by the Winston-Dillard Lions Club in 1969. Its history is connected to the area’s melon-growing heritage, which dates to the late 1800s. By the 1940s, melons grown in the area were being shipped under the “Pride of Dillard” name.

The three-day festival will include live entertainment, food and craft vendors, children’s games, bingo, mud volleyball, a parade, car shows, a talent show and several traditional festival contests. Children’s games and the festival’s classic Heart Game will be played throughout the weekend.

The release said the parade will travel through downtown Winston on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. The car show awards will take place at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Other attractions planned for the weekend include a scavenger hunt and a free escape-room activity presented by Shaky Grounds Cafe on Friday and Sunday.

Admission is free. Festival hours are noon to 9:00 p.m. Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday and 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

The festival is organized by the Winston-Dillard Area Festival Association.