By Judith Roberts
Summer is officially here after this year’s 73rd annual Louisiana Peach Festival.
Main Street director and community coordinator Amy Stegall this event was a great kickoff to summer and represents the culture of north Louisiana, while also bringing the community together.
“It’s more than that; our community gets out to enjoy spending time together,” Stegall said. “It is the place to be, and you’ll see friends and neighbors who you may not see all year long. And while you’re out— you also will find delicious food, unique crafts, hear live music, enjoy kids activities and so much more. It is a great day for our community. The economic impact is also important to our area. From hotel stays, restaurant visits, and shopping— we see a huge impact for our area.”
Stegall said her crew estimated the crowd to be over 23,000 people.
“I think people love the food, the music, and the arts and crafts,” she said. “More and more we are hearing they love the kids’ activities and seeing some of the traditions from the past come back. The parade is a big fan favorite, and we are excited that next year it will be the official start to the day. Oh, and that peach ice cream— they love that, too!”
Even without the parade, Stegall said it seemed like the Peach Festival was a success.
“We are over the moon with the success of the 73rd Annual Peach Festival,” she said. “We were so excited about our music line up, our arts market vendors, food and kid’s alley. To top it off our community showed up with some of the long-loved traditions like the antique car show, rodeo, diaper derby, baby photo contest, 5K and the Dixie Gem Peach Pageant. It was an amazing day.”
The festival was free to participants before 5 p.m., but admission was at a cost after that point, which didn’t deter many festival-goers.
“We had a great crowd after 5,” Stegall said. “We didn’t learn until later that it was raining all around us. We did have a few sprinkles, but the music and food kept Railroad Park hopping until 11 p.m. Grambling’s Main Street Band was a local favorite bringing the crowd into the park. And the last time LVVRS was here, they created quite a following. Then to top the night off with one of the rising country music bands from Baton Rouge, Parish County Line … It could not have been more fun. We sang and danced the night away.”
Stegall said without sponsors, though, the event would not even be possible.
“We had several new sponsors this year who have expressed interest for the next event,” she said. “Also a huge thank you to the city of Ruston crew, including police, fire, emergency responders, city employees and volunteers who spent several days — and late evenings — making sure the festival went off without a hitch. Most people never see the hard work that goes on behind the scenes. The team at Ruston-Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau, Downtown Ruston, and the City of Ruston have been incredible producers of this event. We are truly appreciative for all of our community partners who help us make the festival better every year.
“Can’t wait til Peach Fest 2024!”
