By Judith Roberts
The Louisiana Peach Festival committee announced yesterday that the annual parade will not be able to take place due to the current downtown Ruston construction.
Main Street Director Amy Stegall said the issue was regarding safety for residents and parade goers.
“We had a conversation with the committee, emergency personnel and The Quota Club, who are the parade hosts, and with the amount of construction happening downtown, it just wasn’t feasible to keep everyone safe. That’s the bottom line,” she said. “But we have every expectation that we will have the parade next year.”
Stegall said new and ongoing events would take place at the June 3 event, including activities such as The Children Shoppe’s baby photo contest, the Green Clinic Pediatrics Diaper Derby, the North Central Louisiana Art Council Peach Art Exhibit and more.
“We’ll have the peach antique car show coming back, the Dixie Gem Peach Pageant, and a5k that the Ruston High cross country group is doing, and there is the rodeo,” Stegall said. “There is the Beard contest, which is a new event. The farmer’s market will be happening. We’ll have over artists and vendors — still a great day to get out enjoy the festival. Just the parade wasn’t in the cards for this year.”
Stegall said all the other downtown activities are still on.
“We’re looking forward to the kids’ activities, which are actually moving to Mississippi Avenue, and we are having we have an expanded arts market that will be in the Sexton Lot,” she said. “It’s just going to be a great day.”
For more information about the Peach Festival and the schedule of events, visit https://www.lapeachfest.com/.
