Popular Louisiana Festival Celebrating 75 Years Wins ‘Festival of the Year’

RUSTON, La. (KPEL News) - A beloved North Louisiana festival is gearing up for its biggest year yet.

The Louisiana Peach Festival, a North Louisiana tradition dating back to 1951 celebrates 75 years and the title of 2025 Festival of the Year from the Louisiana Travel Association.

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History of the Peach Festival

Originally started by local peach farmers to promote the industry, the festival has evolved into a homegrown celebration of music, arts, and food, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors over the years and injecting millions into the Lincoln Parish economy.

In 2024, the festival drew over 27,000 attendees and contributed $1.6 million in economic impact. Organizers are building on that success for the milestone 75th year, promising an even bigger and better event.

Festival of the Year

As a great way to celebrate a milestone birthday, the Ruston Peach Festival won the Louey Award for Festival of the Year.

It's one of the most prestigious awards handed out by the Louisiana Travel Association, and is meant to recognize "outstanding contributions to tourism and community development across the state." Officials with the festival pointed to previous numbers to showcase the festival's growth.

“2024’s record-breaking numbers reflect the festival’s quality and accessibility as a free music and arts festival,” Ruston Main Street Director Amy Stegall said in a statement. “This award isn’t just a win for our organizations, it’s a win for every sponsor, community partner, vendor, city employee, and volunteer who shows up every year to help continue this long-standing Ruston tradition.”

Experience Ruston CEO Amanda Carrier noted that since taking over festival coordination in 2021, the event has been more accessible and engaging, further boosting tourism and community pride.

“Since joining with the City of Ruston and Downtown Ruston to coordinate the festival in 2021, we’ve been able to make the event more accessible and engaging for residents and visitors alike, which has resulted in positive impacts across our community,” she explained.

Louisiana's Love of Festivals

With live music, art showcases, and plenty of peach-themed food on the way, the 2025 Louisiana Peach Festival promises to honor its rich history while embracing the future. More details will be announced soon, but one thing is certain: Ruston’s biggest tradition is getting even sweeter.

Louisiana has a ton of great festivals, in fact. You can check out some of the quirkiest ones below.