Louisiana Peach Festival Wins Louey Award for Festival of the Year

The Louisiana Travel Association (LTA) announced the Louisiana Peach Festival as the recipient of the 2025 Louey Award for Festival of the Year at its Annual Meeting on Tuesday, February 18 in Monroe, La. The Louisiana Peach Festival Planning Committee was in attendance to accept the award on behalf of the event.

This year, LTA presented 20 Louey Awards to honor and showcase individuals and organizations who have made outstanding contributions to the Louisiana tourism industry.

The Louisiana Peach Festival is a long-standing Ruston tradition dating back to 1951. The event was originally created by area peach farmers to promote their industry throughout the region and has since become one of the longest-running agricultural festivals in Louisiana. Over the years, the Peach Festival has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors to Lincoln Parish and pumped millions back into the local economy.

The festival received the award as a result of its unique community collaborations, significant economic impact, emphasis on local culture, and shift to free admission in 2024, which positioned the festival for continued growth and an even greater impact on the area.

“This recognition is such an honor and is truly a testament to the power of community partnership,” said Amanda Carrier, President & CEO of Experience Ruston. “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.”

In 2024, the single-day event drew 27,000+ attendees from all over the region and provided more than $1.6 million dollars of economic impact to the area, according to the Louisiana Tech Center for Economic Research. This economic impact reaches local businesses, restaurants, and hotels, as well as area makers and artists that participate as vendors at the event.

“2024’s record breaking numbers reflect the festival’s quality and accessibility as a free music and arts festival,” said Amy Stegall, Ruston Main Street Director. “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 show up every year to help continue this long-standing Ruston tradition.”

The Louisiana Peach Festival would like to thank b1BANK, the festival’s presenting sponsor, for sharing its vision to make the event admission free, helping to expand the festival’s accessibility for residents and visitors.

More festival announcements will follow in the coming weeks, including the headliner and music lineup for the event, volunteer opportunities, and special 75th anniversary celebrations. To stay up to date on festival info, follow Louisiana Peach Festival on Facebook and Instagram, or visit www.lapeachfest.com.

For more information on LTA and the Louey Awards, visit www.louisianatravelassociation.org.