Having a melon ball
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WHAT: Milan Melon Festival
WHEN: Aug. 30-Sept. 1
WHERE: Milan Village Square
INFO: milanmelonfestival.org
In celebrating the 50th annual Milan Melon Festival, which takes place Aug. 30 to Sept. 1 at the Milan Village Square, organizers are spending their time looking both back and ahead.
“I guess you could say we tried to make it kind of special this year,” said Melon Festival Committee Member Tom Vitaz, a 1988 Edison High School graduate. “We actually have gotten a regular stage coming in for the first time. We used to have a big truck bed that comes in. So we’re trying to get bigger and better and figured the 50th year would be a good spot for us to start."
The Milan Melon Festival features a 10K run for all ages, children’s games, arts and crafts displays, rides, an open-registration recliner race, free roaming entertainment and more. Musical entertainment includes bands Plank Road, After Midnight and Mr. Speed. There’s also the big antique car display and the grand parade.
The three-day Milan Melon Festival, which is one of the area’s biggest events, draws tens of thousands of people who look forward to a familiar experience.
“People tend to like consistency,” Vitaz said. “They want the same things year after year. Most of our stuff – the vendors and the rides – are in the same spots. Milan is a small little town and it gives people an opportunity to come to Milan.”
As for the festival’s namesake, Vitaz said people can’t come to the event without trying the popular muskmelon ice cream, which is made by Toft’s Dairy and sold exclusively at the Milan Melon Festival.
“It’s just tradition,” Vitaz said. "Once you’ve been established somewhere for 50 years, everybody knows when the weekend is. For the most part, people just look to see what the schedule is.”
He added, “So I guess the big thing would be for free family fun and entertainment. And there’s stuff for everybody to do.”