Peach Festival eliminates admission fees

For the first time in more 30 years, the Louisiana Peach Festival will be a free event, with no admission charged for either daytime activities or the evening concert.

Festival organizers say dropping entry fees makes the all-day event accessible to more people. They said they’ve seen a significant drop in attendance from daytime to evening, something they attributed to the $10-per-adult and $5-per-youngster concert price.

Organizers are predicting at least a 15% increase in attendance by doing away with admission to the concert. Daytime gate fees were eliminated three years ago.

Each year, overall attendance has gone up by at least 10%, according to figures compiled by the Ruston Lincoln Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Organizers say they want the 74- year- old festival to remain a regional economic driver, and allowing people to attend all day admission- free will help ensure that.

“Making the festival free is a powerful way to share our local culture and talent with a broader audience,” Ruston Main Street Director Amy Stegall said Thursday during a press conference announcing the admission change, this year’s theme, and b1BANK as the 2024 presenting sponsor.

The single-day festival is set for June 1 in downtown Ruston from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. and will feature more than 12 hours of live music, over 80 food and art vendors, interactive kids’ activities, peachy treats and eats, and more festivities.

The 2023 festival drew more than 24,000 attendees,and had a $2 million economic impact on the area, according to RLCVB.

This impact is felt by local businesses, restaurants, and hotels, as well as area makers and artists that set up vendor booths at the event, Stegall said.

The festival is produced through a partnership of Main Street, also called Downtown Ruston, the city of Ruston and Experience Ruston, which is the RLCVB.

RLCVB President & CEO Amanda Carrier said part of the impetus for free admission is making the festival experience more fun for more people.

“Part of the partnership is focused on quality of life for our residents and quality experience for visitors,” she said.

“Since taking over coordination of the festival in 2021, it has remained our mission to make the Louisiana Peach Festival a celebration of local culture and talent to be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike,” Carrier said.

Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker said dropping gate fees is “huge in today’s economy.” He called the move a “win- win” for the community and peach festival attendees.

This year’s festival theme — “Everyone’s invited to the Louisiana Peach Festival” — underscores the free admission that allows all to attend, organizers said.

They took the theme from a vintage festival banner discovered in a closet.

The peach festival is the longest- running agricultural festival in Louisiana, dating back to 1951. The festival was created by area peach farmers to promote their industry throughout the South and boost a sagging summertime economy.

The festival is accepting vendor applications for both food and arts market vendors, as well as poster design contest submissions. Poster designs will be accepted through March 1.

Vendor applications and poster designs can be submitted online at lapeachfest. com.