Grammy Award-winning country music superstar Gretchen Wilson is bringing her signature brand of country music to Southwest Arkansas when she headlines the grand finale concert of the 50th Annual Hope Watermelon Festival on Saturday, August 8, at Fair Park in Hope.
The concert begins at 8 p.m., closing out the festival’s three-day Golden Jubilee celebration honoring one of Arkansas’ longest-running and most beloved summer traditions.
Wilson exploded onto the country music scene in 2004 with her multi-platinum smash hit “Redneck Woman,” launching a career that has included more than eight million albums sold, multiple Billboard chart-topping songs, and a trophy case filled with Grammy, CMA, ACM, AMA, CMT, and Billboard Music Awards.
Her debut album, Here for the Party, achieved 5x Platinum status, while her sophomore release, All Jacked Up, made history as the highest-debuting album by a female country artist at the time.
Wilson has remained in the spotlight in recent years, winning Season 13 of FOX’s The Masked Singer and serving as Tour Manager and mentor alongside Blake Shelton and Keith Urban on the CBS/Paramount+ music competition series THE ROAD, helping mentor aspiring country artists.
She’s currently touring nationwide on her “Still Here for the Party Tour,” celebrating the music that made her one of country music’s biggest stars. Wilson is also re-recording her breakthrough album Here for the Party, featuring guest artists on every track, with the new release expected later this year.
“We are thrilled to welcome Gretchen Wilson to headline the 50th Annual Hope Watermelon Festival,” said Christy Burns, Executive Director of the Hope-Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce. “Her powerful voice, incredible stage presence, and iconic hits will make this milestone year one to remember.”
The 50th Annual Hope Watermelon Festival runs August 6-8 at Fair Park and is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors from across Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.
Located just 30 miles from Texarkana, the festival has become a favorite annual destination for families throughout the Ark-La-Tex and features three days of entertainment, food, shopping, and hometown traditions celebrating Hope’s world-famous watermelons.
Festival favorites include:
- Hundreds of arts and crafts vendors
- Live entertainment throughout the weekend
- The famous Watermelon Olympics
- Watermelon eating and seed-spitting contests
- The annual Watermelon Festival Parade
- Classic car displays
- Children’s activities and Kid Zone attractions
- The Hope Watermelon 5K and Melon Mile
- Plenty of free slices of Hope’s famous ice-cold watermelon
Admission to the festival grounds is free, while tickets are required for Saturday night’s Gretchen Wilson concert.
For residents of the Four States Area looking for a quick weekend getaway, the Hope Watermelon Festival offers one of the region’s biggest summer celebrations, combining live country music, family entertainment, local vendors, and a half-century of Arkansas tradition.
For more information, visit hopemelonfest.com or contact the Hope-Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce at (870) 777-3640.
