| The first Georgia
Peach festival was staged in Fort Valley in 1986. Officially
incorporated in 1988 as the Georgia Peach Festival, Inc.,
the festival was once directed by the Chamber of Commerce.
Today a volunteer board plans, organizes and executes the
complex job of putting on the festival.
The idea of a Peach Festival was conceived by Harold Peavy
to promote Peach County and the peach industry that has contributed
so much to the livelihood of the state of Georgia. Georgia
ranks third in the nation in the annual production of peaches,
with more than 15,000 acres of peach trees yielding more than
1.7 million bushels of peaches annually. More than half of
that harvest is cultivated in Peach County alone. |
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The purpose
of the Peach Festival is to honor peach growers for their
contribution to our state's economy and to the food industry
nationwide. This 2007 Georgia Peach Festival commemorates
the event's 21st anniversary and the 83rd anniversary of Peach
County! The Peach Festival holds the honor of being the only
state–sanctioned food festival. |
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The Georgia Peach Festival
is partially funded by government partners such as the Peach
County Board of Commissioners, Fort Valley Utility Commission,
the City Governments of Byron and Fort Valley, the Byron Convention
and Visitors Bureau and the Peach County tourism committee.
In addition, funds are donated by local and regional businesses.
Certain annual events staged prior or during the Peach Festival,
produce revenue. These events include arts and crafts vendor
fees, 5k race fees, golf tournament fees and local celebrity
dinner fees. The sale of tee-shirts and festival-franchised
merchandise also adds to the festival's income. |
The Peach
Festival Board of Directors is committed to promoting Peach
County, to enhancing the civic pride of the county’s
residents and sharing the quality of life here with visitors.
For four months prior to the start of the Peach Festival,
the event is highly publicized with printed brochures distributed
to Welcome Centers on I-75 and surrounding Chambers of Commerce
and businesses. |
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| The festival
also uses radio and television ads, billboards, local newspapers
and promotes the festival online at www.gapeachfestival.com.
Festival promoters also distribute program books to all visitors
during the festival. Banners with the names or logos of all
major sponsors and local peach growers are placed across Hwy.
49 in downtown Fort Valley the week prior to the Festival.
The Georgia Peach Festival attracts between
7,000 and 15,000 visitors during festival week, including
church and senior center groups and charter bus tours. Many
festival goers stay throughout the week to participate in
activities offered in both Fort Valley and Byron. |
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Eighty-seven
vendors were on hand for the festival last year, staying in
local motels and bed and breakfast inns. Visitors filled facilities
in both Byron and Fort Valley, spilling over into facilities
in Warner Robins and Perry. The festival committee's goal
is to make the 2007 Peach Festival bigger and better than
ever, attracting even larger crowds to the area through enhanced
activities and more vendors.
The Peach Festival was expanded from one weekend to its current
week-long format in 2004. Activities begin in Byron the first
weekend and move to Fort Valley the second weekend with activities
in both cities throughout the week. The 2007 Peach Festival
board of directors will host the festival for a full week
beginning June 16 in Byron and ending in Fort Valley with
activities June 20-23. |
For more information on the Georgia
Peach Festival call 478-825-4002 or toll free 1-87-PEACHES.
Additional Information Visit Website: www.gapeachfestival.com |
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