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Dixon Melon Days were thumping-ripe fun

By B.L. Azure

Dixon Melon Man, Harley Hettick reaches for a big thumping ripe melon for a customer Saturday at Melon Days. (B.L. Azure photo)

DIXON — The little burg on the banks of the lower Flathead River was celebration central Saturday as hundreds of fun lovers from throughout the area cruised into town to help the locals kick it up a bit during Melon Days - the 19th annual edition.

Dixon Melon Days marks the end of the summer community celebrations on the Flathead Indian Reservation. The last of the Mohicans of area celebrations is this weekend’s Sanders County Fair in Plains. There is always a good showing of folks from the reservation at the just-the-right-size county fair.

Antoine Sandoval hugs his daughter Persephone while daughter Sariel browses for goodies at one of the vendors at Melon Days. (B.L. Azure photo)

Then it’s all over, summer fun that is, as thoughts now turn to shorter days and longer nights and the wonderment of “where did summer go?” or more precisely, “summer, we hardly knew ye this year.”

It didn’t feel too summery in Dixon but the temperatures were not too chilly. They were sort of just right especially for those competing in the several fun but sweat producing activities for the youngsters and the oldsters.

Folksy conversation with friends and neighbors is a big part of the Melon Days experience. (B.L. Azure photo)

The Dixon Melon Man, Harley Hettick, said that the weird summer weather had a negative impact on his melon harvest. A late July hailstorm took its toll on this season’s crop, knocking out more than half of the harvest. This year’s planting was down considerably from previous years.

Hettick and wife Joey are trying to rebound from last year’s bitter after-harvest when their home was burglarized last September 12 and thieves absconded with last season’s monetary harvest of approximately $60,000.

The Farmers Olympics returned to Melon Days after a couple year hiatus and there was competition for folks of all ages. (B.L. Azure photo)

After a lengthy investigation three people, Trevor Nash, William Weatherwax and Dylan Rube, were charged with the crime, found guilty and sentenced. They had worked for the Hetticks’ melon business and used inside knowledge to burglarize the Hettick home while the extended Hettick family was out of town selling melons.

The burglary was a big time monetarily set back for the Hetticks. However, approximately $15,000 was raised through various fundraisers and they were able to continue their melon business, albeit on a much smaller scale. They planted 30,000 seeds this year, approximately half of last year’s planting.

The children at Melon Days had plenty of fun activities to participate in like the sack race. (B.L. Azure photo)

Hettick said the melons that were harvested turned out good. The melons are presently being distributed and sold at area grocery stores and farmers markets.

Hettick had two locations in Dixon to sell the scrumptious melons and folks were lined up to purchase them at both locations.

“These are the best,” and “Don’t quit growing them,” were a couple of the common comments that came from the tongues of many of those who stopped by to chat with Harley and buy his melons.

Hettick said there is gratification in all the customer praise and encouragement. Especially coming off of last season’s bitter experience.

Face painting has become a staple of community celebrations on the Flathead Reservation. (B.L. Azure photo)

Absent from the last couple of Melon Days has been the farmers Olympics. But it was back this year. Folks from elementary school age to adults competed in the games based on agricultural chores.

They had to scale big round bales, fix fence, race through an obstacle course while carrying a section of irrigation pipe, load feed sacks, walk a narrow beam with the 50-pound feed sacks, faux mount a saddle, rope a faux calf and roll two tires to the finish line.

The course for the youngsters was a bit easier but nonetheless daunting for them. There was with more audience laughs and encouragement when the little guys and gals ran the gauntlet.

There were other games for children including sack races, melon eating contest and money scrambles. The Dixon school playground was a buzz of activity all day long as children broke from their parents for a bit of unorganized fun.

A couple of Melon Days parade participants shoot the breeze below a parade entry. (B.L. Azure photo)

Musicians at the Dixon Park provided the soundtrack to go with the neighborly conversation and the laughter of the children of those who congregated at the park.

Along the route between the park and the school were numerous vendor booths that sold everything from kettle-corn to Indian tacos to ice cream to hats, caps and knives to carnival games.

Dixon was bustling with fun Saturday and that rubbed everyone the right way. And that is a good way to get rubbed on the last day of community fun on the Flathead Indian Reservation, 2010 style.