History of the Louisiana Peach Festival

There's no doubt that the Louisiana Peach Festival brings about a time of excitement in the town of Ruston, LA. From a weekend full of festivities, awesome food, and great laughter, it is an event that you do not want to miss. With great success comes great history that dates back many years.

The festival was born in the late 1930s when several commercial peach orchards were located in Lincoln Parish. In 1947, the area peach growers organized the Louisiana Fruit Growers Association. In 1951, the decision was made to promote their industry by spreading word throughout Louisiana and surrounding states of the excellent taste of Lincoln Parish Peaches.

Through extensive hours of planning and sleepless nights for several months, plans to hold an annual Louisiana Peach Festival were placed on the drawing board in June 1951 by J. E. Mitcham, president of the Louisiana Fruit Growers Association, and Walter Smith, chairman of the first Louisiana Peach Festival. Advertisements were placed everywhere from newspapers, to banners, and placards headlining the popular Dixie gem peach.

The first Peach festival was held on June 27-28, 1951, and achieved far greater success than any of the sponsors expected. The event consisted of "Peaches and Posies" flower show, a peach cookery contest, an art show, several athletic tournaments, and the crowning of the First Queen Dixie Gem and Princess Peach.

It was no surprise that the Louisiana Peach festival grew in size and popularity. In 1952, its activities doubled in attendance. In its third year, the festival won national attention when Queen Dixie Gem III, Dorothy Elta Goff, traveled to Washington D.C to present then Vice President Richard Nixon a box of peaches.

After years of success, the festival began taking a turn for the worst as financial issues began to arise. The worsening national financial recession of the early 1980s threatened the future of the festival. In May 1982, three former festival chairmen reluctantly forecast the collapse of the event stating that if additional funds were not provided, the festival's days would be limited. At one time, the state contributed to the Louisiana Peach Festival; however, the festival had been financed independently, and each year the directors of the Association were forced to seek additional sources of money. Through God's grace, the Lincoln Parish Police Jury and many other individuals came to the aid and the 1982 festival was held.

The uncertain conditions surrounding the 1982 Festival spurred the Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce into action. In January 1983, the Chamber voted to accept and sponsor the Louisiana Peach Festival with the Ruston-Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau. Concerns were still questioned on how to fund an even bigger and better festival. By the 1990s, the festival included an arts and crafts show, a rodeo, and the events spread over a 2-week period. The festival continues to draw large number of attendees even though the festival has been shortened to a weekend event. It continues to pump around $2 million in the local economy.