46th Annual Watermelon Festival Featuring Uncle Kracker

The 46th Annual Hope Watermelon Festival is scheduled for Saturday, August 13, 2022, on the CMC Stage at Hope Fair Park. This year's festival will feature a concert by genre-crossing hitmaker and chart-topper Uncle Kracker.

The show is set for 8:30 p.m. with gates opening at 6 p.m. Uncle Kracker soared up the country music charts with his good buddy Kenny Chesney on the hit song, "When The Sun Goes Down." But after a few summer tours with Chesney, Uncle Kracker reached Country Music’s Top 10 with his double-platinum crossover hit “Smile.” Then, 2012 saw him fully embrace his countryside with his critically acclaimed fifth outing, “Midnight Special." The Michigan singer, songwriter, and performer, also known as Matthew Shafer was the chief collaborator in Kid Rock's Twisted Brown Trucker Band.

Uncle Kracker has played sold-out shows across the country and appeared everywhere, from the American Country Music Awards to Late Night With Conan O’Brien. He is still having a blast, and fans in southwest Arkansas undoubtedly will too, when they see him at the Hope Watermelon Festival.

Tickets go on sale Thursday, May 19, with a special one-day “early bird” discounted general admission ticket price of $15 for adults and $10 for children ages 4-10. Early bird tickets will be sold at the Hope-Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or online

After this one-day sale, advanced general admission tickets for the concert will be $20 for adults; the day of show tickets will be $25. Children’s tickets will be $10 on the day of the show. All reserved seating tickets are $40.

For more information about the concert, contact the Hope Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce at 870-777-3640 or the UAHT Foundation at 870-722-8516.