By T. Scott Boatright
Mother Nature got in on the act but failed to dampen spirits during the Louisiana Peach Festival’s concert series on Saturday at Railroad Park.
Ten acts played from 10 a.m. under the day’s final band – south Louisiana’s County Parish Line.
The opening act – Parker & Chloe – opened at 10 a.m., and by the time Haley Brooke went on at 11 a.m. and Minden’s Bray Watts at noon, Mother Nature heated things up for those in attendance.
“Well, I have to say wearing black jeans definitely wasn’t a smart decision for the noon set, so it was pretty warm,” Watts said. “I’m pretty used to playing out in the elements so I was pretty comfortable, but I have to say it’s a lot easier to lose your breath out in the heat. Overall though I feel I did a pretty alright job for my first time at the Peach Fest.”
Watts added that he hopes to return to the Peach Fest in the future.
“It was everything I could’ve asked for honestly,” Watts said. “(Concerts coordinator) Tori Davis was a tremendous help and did an absolutely amazing job at making sure we were all taken care of.”
DK Harrell performed the 1 p.m. concert and as Shreveport’s Jennifer Janet went on at 2 p.m., Mother Nature started dancing the other direction as clouds moved in, providing shade and a cooling breeze that made things significantly more comfortable for concert goers.
Janet said attending the Peach Fest was as much fun as performing during it.
“I had a blast at Peach Fest! The staff was incredibly nice and professional,” Janet said. “I walked around and saw every booth before I went on stage. So many cool, friendly people displaying and selling their beautifully handcrafted goods. Of course, I couldn’t leave without getting a basket of peaches.”
Like Watts, Janet hopes for a future return to Peach Fest activities.
“My band and I had a blast playing for the attendees,” Janet said. “The people were so receptive and the line up of talented artists was amazing. Honored to be a part of this year’s Ruston Peach Festival and to hang out in one of my favorite cities in the U.S. I can’t wait to do it again.”
Big Al & Cherri Jubliee, the Kelli Roberts Band, the Main Street Band and LVVS followed under the more favorable weather conditions
“We had a little shower right at 3 p.m. when Big Al was taking the stage,” Davis said. “But the crowd stuck it out and it cooled everything down. We had a super fun and engaged crowd and there was a great breeze for most of the afternoon.”
Mother Nature did one last quick rain dance later on, but Davis said there was no negative effect on the concerts or crowds watching them.
“We somehow managed to avoid the big storms that hit all around us,” Davis said. “We had two periods of rain during the day, but they only lasted about five minutes each and never caused any delays. We were super fortunate, because it was a great day and night.”
