Around gilbert & summit

Many people in this banquet hall tonight feel that the Peach Festival is their claim to fame and an opportunity for them to brag about what our community has done” said Shelba Derrick Howard, Lexington County Peach Festival Coordinator.

Howard gave the opening remarks at the 2019 annual Pre-Peach Festival Banquet at T&S Farms. The banquet is given as a “thank you” for the volunteer workers, sponsors, law enforcement, media and others who will be working and involved with the 61st July 4th Lexington County Peach Festival in Gilbert.

Howard said the festival gets better each year. She said the Peach Festival recently won the 2019 Lifetime Magazine’s Event of the Year Award for 2019. Howard said there are openings for volunteers to help at the Peach Festival. She said we should give thanks for all of those who commit themselves to making Gilbert great and we should recognize that our community has been identified as a major tourist attraction. For information on volunteering, email Shelba at lcpf@comporium.net .

Miriam Matthews, Festival Pageant Co-Chair, recognized the 2018 Lexington County Peach Queens. Each of the queens who were able to be present briefly talked about how much they enjoyed representing the Gilbert community. The 2018 reigning Peach Queens are:  Miss Wee Peach Paisley Allyn Hendrix, daughter of David and Heather Hendrix of Swansea; Miss Little Peach Peyton Ainslee Hendrix, daughter of David and Heather Hendrix of Swansea; Miss Petite Peach McKenna Reagan Myers, daughter of Bryce and Carlee Myers of Lexington; Miss Young Peach, Allyson Avayou, daughter of Alan and Kathryn Avayou of Lexington; Miss Teen Peach Gabryelle Savanna Martin, daughter of Bryan and Lynn Martin of Lexington; and Miss Lexington County Peach Queen Cicely Deatrice Wise, daughter of James Generette and Janice Wise of Batesburg-Leesville.

Jessica Fallaw, Peach Festival Planning Committee, gave the festival progress and closing remarks. She talked about how everyone does such a great job of making attendees at the festival feel welcome to Gilbert. She said it is like a family reunion where attendees come back every year. She said she is a third-generation Peach Festival volunteer and now she is helping run the festival. She told the volunteers, without you the festival would not exist.

Peach Festival program books will soon be available at many locations in Gilbert. At the timing of the pre-festival banquet they had not been printed. The Peach Festival tee shirts are very nice this year and will be available for purchase at the festival.