Special Event

Peach Fest peels off another year of fun

Just peachy: The stone fruit will be celebrated through Sunday at the Johnson County Peach Festival in Clarksville.
Just peachy: The stone fruit will be celebrated through Sunday at the Johnson County Peach Festival in Clarksville.

There is no shortage of things to do at the 74th Johnson County Peach Festival in Clarksville.

Scavenger hunts, talent contests, cobbler tasting, frog jumping contests, obstacle courses, skateboard competitions, water balloon tosses -- and that's all before Friday evening.

74th Johnson County Peach Festival

Thursday-Saturday (all day), Sunday morning, various locations including Court Square, Clarksville

Admission: free

(479) 754-9152

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"There is always something going on, just constantly," says Alicia Hartley, president of the festival.

One of the longest-running festivals in the state, the Peach Festival was started in 1938 by group of peach farmers in Ludwig. (It was halted during World War II.) Back then, it was just a parade where the Peach Queen was crowned, Harley says. A few years later, the event moved to Clarksville and began growing.

Now, the five-day festival (it began Wednesday) serves as a fundraiser, with a portion of profits from food and merchandise sales going toward scholarships for pageant winners.

Festival pageants, including Queen Peach and Mrs. Peach, concluded July 23, with Miss Arkansas Valley crowned Saturday. Pageant winners will be on hand during Peach Festival celebrations.

The festival continues tonight with a scavenger hunt and the "Johnson County Idol" talent contest.

Contests continue Friday with a peach cobbler bake-off and jam/jelly contest at noon at the courthouse. On the courthouse lawn, kids can put amphibians to the test in the 28th annual Great Celebrated Johnson County Frog Jump, and they can also compete in a bicycle obstacle course, skateboard competition and balloon toss. Friday events conclude at 9 p.m. with a performance by Arkansas cover band On the Verge at the Court Square.

Saturday activities include an inflatable "kids zone" with water slides and bouncy houses at 9 a.m. at First United Methodist Church. A boat regatta and fishing derby are also scheduled for Saturday morning at Cline Park. A peach pit spitting contest will take place at 1 p.m., followed by the peach eating contest (ages 1-7, 8-12). The evening will end with a parade at 7 p.m. on Main Street, followed by a DJ and dancing on the Court Square.

The Peach Festival wraps up Sunday morning with a horseshoe tournament at Cline Park.

While entrance to the festival is free, Hartley encourages those who come to bring cash for a few of the attractions, such as the bull riding machine, rock climbing and more. Hartley estimates about 10,000 will attend. They hope to raise $5,000 for pageant scholarships.

Weekend on 07/30/2015

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