Staff Report
By the time the last visitors leave the Fallon Cantaloupe Festival each summer, the board and volunteers behind the event are already thinking about next year.
Planning begins just two to four weeks after the festival ends, according to Executive Director Adrienne Snow. While festivalgoers remember three days of entertainment, food, exhibits, and community celebrations, organizers spend the remaining 362 days preparing for the next event.
The Fallon Festival Association is led by a six-member board consisting of Chairman Zip Upham, Vice Chairman Todd Moretto, Secretary Samantha Horning, Treasurer Angela Guthrie, Volunteer Coordinator Carrie Sheldon-Davis, and Marketing & Media Coordinator Shania Brown. Executive Director Adrienne Snow oversees the festival's day-to-day operations.
The board is supported by committee volunteers who oversee many of the festival's largest operations. Snow identified Annabelle Forshee, Pageant Coordinator; Tarin Jones of the Volunteer Committee; Michelle Rogers, Sponsorship Coordinator and a member of the Agriculture Experience Committee; Joe Frey of the Agriculture Experience Committee; Samantha Brocklesby of the Vendor Committee; Jessica Diaz of the Gift Shop Committee; and Cody Robinson, Logistics Coordinator for the festival, as key volunteers who help keep the festival running year-round.
One of the first tasks after each festival is evaluating what worked well and identifying areas for improvement. From there, planning shifts almost immediately to mapping vendor spaces and preparing registration for the following year. Snow said organizers work to have vendor registration ready by March 1 so businesses and exhibitors have plenty of time to reserve their spaces.
Today, the festival features more than 150 vendors, making vendor placement one of the earliest and most important planning responsibilities. Once vendor registration opens, attention turns to entertainment, sponsorships, logistics, marketing, exhibits, volunteer recruitment, and dozens of other details that must come together before opening day.
Keeping the festival affordable while continuing to improve it each year remains one of the organization's biggest challenges.
Behind the scenes, organizers budget for nationally touring entertainers, sound and lighting production, facility rentals, insurance, sanitation, security, internet service, equipment rentals, and many of the expenses visitors never see. Those costs are offset through sponsorships, grants, vendor fees, ticket sales, and community partnerships.
Weather is another factor that can never be controlled. A weekend of pleasant weather can bring large crowds, while high winds or rain can affect attendance and festival revenue. Even with months of preparation, organizers know every festival presents new challenges.
Snow said one of the organization's proudest accomplishments over the past decade has been purchasing its portable stage.
Before acquiring the stage, organizers never knew whether one large enough for headline entertainment would be available. Today, the stage is used not only during the Fallon Cantaloupe Festival, but also by Churchill County, Douglas County, Artown, the Atlantis, and other organizations throughout Northern Nevada. Snow said only two stages of its kind are available in Northern Nevada.
Another ongoing challenge is the fairgrounds' aging electrical infrastructure. Snow said power interruptions are among the most common issues during the festival. When breakers trip or internet service is interrupted, festival volunteers and county staff work quickly behind the scenes to restore service and minimize disruptions for vendors and visitors.
For Brown, the long hours are about giving back to the community.
"I enjoy helping be part of something for the community, and something that has been around for as many years as the festival has," Brown said. "Bringing my skill set and being able to contribute to such a large event is huge to me."
Brown said one of her favorite moments each year is watching families enjoy everything the festival has to offer.
"There's something for everyone," she said. "I love seeing families enjoy all the different aspects of the festival. Plus, I love getting the cantaloupe-flavored ice cream."
Brown said the festival depends on hundreds of volunteers who devote countless hours behind the scenes to make the event possible.
"The people behind the festival put their hearts and souls into everything that goes on in the background," she said. "We do this for the community, and we want to continue growing the festival, but it takes hundreds of volunteers and strong community support. People don't always see everything that goes into making the festival happen."
Asked how many volunteer hours go into producing the Fallon Cantaloupe Festival each year, Snow laughed.
"A bazillion and three."
It may not be an official number, but it captures the countless hours contributed by board members, committee volunteers, sponsors, county staff, and community supporters who spend nearly an entire year preparing for one weekend that has become one of Churchill County's signature traditions.
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