When you hear ‘Peach Festival’, you may picture baskets of fuzzy peaches, maybe a peach cobbler bake-off, or even a parade. But here in Ruston, the Louisiana Peach Festival is so much more than just a celebration of our locally grown fruit. It is a time to experience the rich tradition and culture that can only be found in our small historic town. Residents and visitors alike come for this special day, filled with activities that keep people coming back year to year. This year’s Peach Festival in Ruston is Saturday, June 6.

Here are 5 ways that the Peach Festival exceeds just peach appreciation (although, we love our peaches too):

1. A Love Letter to Louisiana Culture

Area artists, vendors, musicians, and makers are the forefront of what makes this festival thrive. Browsing our curated arts market with 90+ artists of all mediums allows you to get a glimpse into the vibrant arts of our state. And you can’t miss the music! Louisiana-based musicians play on the Railroad Park Stage to ensure the spirit of the festival carries on into the night. Celebrate our Louisiana roots with us, and dive into what makes our culture so unique.

2. The Food Scene Goes Full Peach (In the Best Way Possible)

Here in Ruston, we pride ourselves on the quality and diversity of our local restaurants and food trucks. The creativity of Ruston’s culinary scene is unmatched, and the sweet peach flavor is no exception. In the week leading up to the festival, 30+ local restaurants come together for the Peach Culinary Crawl, featuring unexpected dishes, drinks, and pairings. From a peach caprese turkey melt to a pint of locally-brewed peach wheat ale, indulge your tastebuds with this staple, seasonal ingredient.

3. It Still Holds Tight to Its Sweet Southern Traditions

Of course, it would not be a southern festival without all of the classic contests and exhibits. The Peach Pageant, Peach Parade, Antique Car Show, Peach Rodeo, Peach Art Exhibit, and Cookery Contest are all ways that the community engages with the roots of the festival. These fun traditions have been happening for generations, and plan to stay for many, many more. The Ruston community continues to add to these celebrations, with sidewalk sales, a 5K race, and even a Pickleball Tournament. All these traditions keep the festival feeling like a small town gathering, keeping it close to the hearts of our residents and visitors.

4. It’s One of the Few Festivals Where You Don’t Feel Nickel-and-Dimed

The Peach Festival prides itself on having free admission, making it accessible for a Saturday full of activities. In Kids Alley, there are no paid vendors, allowing all kiddos to enjoy hands-on crafts, games, entertainment, and more festival activities. It is the perfect opportunity to bring the family out for fun that won’t break the bank. Our goal is to make the festival easy and accessible for all ages to enjoy!

5. It Feels More Like a Community Gathering Than a Carnival

No flashy rides or ferris wheels here – the Peach Festival provides something even more memorable. Surrounded by the painted murals of downtown, local organizations, and all the friendly volunteers, it’s easy to feel like a part of the Ruston community that we know and love. With festivities happening from morning to late into the night, you have plenty of time to experience the festival at your own pace. So bring out your lawn chair, grab a bite, listen to the music, and enjoy all the sights and sounds of our community. 

The traditions, culture, and hospitality surrounding this celebration reminds us that this isn’t just a festival, but a signature kind of Southern experience you don’t find everywhere. The peach flavor is just the tip of the iceberg to all of the sweetness of peach season in Ruston, LA. 

For more information on the 76th Annual Louisiana Peach Festival and to see the full schedule of events, visit www.lapeachfest.com/. 

Fifty years ago, a much younger, much more nervous version of me stepped into a pulpit for the very first time. My sermon was too long, my theology was too thin, and my confidence was too high for someone who had no idea what he was doing. In other words, I fit right in with every preacher who ever lived.

Half a century later, I stand amazed — not only that God has been faithful, but that congregations have been too. Some of them even stayed awake. If you want to understand humanity, don’t study psychology. Don’t read philosophy. Just preach weekly for fifty years and watch what happens in the pews.

I’ve seen:

People sleeping so soundly during my sermons that I considered checking for a pulse. One gentleman snored in perfect rhythm with the Doxology. I took it as a compliment. Parents losing control of toddlers who suddenly discovered their spiritual gift was interpretive dance in the center aisle. Teenagers communicating entirely by eyeroll, a language I now speak fluently. Peppermint unwrappers — the saints who believe they can open a candy “quietly,” which somehow takes seven minutes and sounds like a raccoon rummaging through aluminum siding. Folks, at this point in my ministry, I beg you: grip it and rip it. The Lord already knows.

After fifty years, I owe some congregations an apology. Not for theology, not for leadership decisions, not for pastoral missteps — though I’ve had my share of those — but for some truly lousy sermons. There were sermons that wandered. Sermons that limped. Sermons that should have been humanely euthanized. Sermons that were so confusing even I wasn’t sure what I meant.

To the churches who endured them: Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your grace. And thank you for not forming a search committee.

Through it all — the laughter, the tears, the baptisms, the funerals, the potlucks, the revivals, the meetings that should’ve been emails — I have been surrounded by people who loved Jesus and tried their best to love one another.

I’ve watched congregations rally around the grieving, celebrate the newly married, welcome the newborn, and feed the hungry. I’ve seen the church at its most beautiful: ordinary people doing extraordinary things because Christ lives in them.

Fifty years of ministry has taught me this: Following Jesus is less about perfection and more about direction. Less about knowing all the answers and more about trusting the One who does. Less about preaching great sermons and more about living a faithful life.

I’ve stumbled, learned, grown, laughed, cried, and kept walking — because Jesus kept leading. And somehow, by grace alone, I’ve made it to this milestone.  If the next years bring more sleeping saints, more peppermint concerts, more toddlers on the loose, and more holy moments of grace — I’ll count myself blessed.

Thank you for letting me preach, love, learn, and laugh among you. Thank you for fifty years of community. Thank you for walking with me as I’ve tried to walk with Christ. And if you happen to fall asleep during this article, I’ll take that as a sign of spiritual peace.

Today’s kids are booked, busy, and burned out—but one parent is asking if it’s time to bring back a simpler, slower kind of childhood.

 See what Ida says 

In April 1969, Gaynor Hopkins’s aunt heard her singing in her bedroom and entered her in a local talent competition.  She was nervous and excited.  The song she chose was the chart topper “Those Were the Days,” made popular by Mary Hopkin.  It was the first time the 17-year-old had ever used a real microphone.  Gaynor did not win the talent show but came in second place to an accordion player.  People at the talent show praised Gaynor for her vocal delivery and sweet voice.  The following week, Gaynor saw an advertisement in her local newspaper in which a singer named Bobby Wayne was looking to hire three female backup singers.  The ad said, “No experience needed, training [would be] given.”  Winning second in the talent show gave Gaynor the confidence to audition.  Out of the 34 girls who auditioned, Gaynor was one of the three selected.  For two years, she performed with Bobby Wayne and the Dixies.  There was a problem.  Gaynor Hopkins resembled and sounded like Mary Hopkin, and people often confused the two.  Gaynor said she never really liked her name, so she took the opportunity to change it.  She adopted her niece’s first name, added a common last name, and became Sherene Davis.  She performed under that name with her own band called Imagination.

In 1975, Gaynor was performing with her band at a local hotspot called “The Townsman” which was in a multi-story building.  Talent scout Roger Bell went to the building to see Vic Oakley sing, but he went to the wrong floor by mistake.  Roger liked what he heard and invited Gaynor to London to record a demo.  That demo led to a contract with RCA Records.  Gaynor released her first single in 1976, but it was a flop.  Her second, “Lost in France,” fared much better, then there was another career setback.  After suffering with a sore throat, Gaynor’s doctor said she needed surgery to remove nodules from her vocal cords.  In the spring of 1977, her doctor said the operation was a success and her voice would return to normal if she remained completely silent for the six-week recovery period.  He instructed her to communicate only by writing.  Gaynor, a self-proclaimed chatterbox, tried but failed and strained her voice.  Her doctor explained that the damage was irreversible. 

Gaynor had years left on her contract with RCA, so they brought her in for another recording session.  After singing the first six words of a song in the studio, everyone involved was worried.  The sweetness was replaced with a huskiness.  RCA released the song as a single in November 1977 only after the song’s producer and songwriters threatened to terminate their contracts with RCA.  To RCA’s surprise, the song rose to the top 10 in 20 countries and to the number one spot in 8 of those countries.  That song was “It’s a Heartache.”  Gaynor had many other hit songs including “Holding Out for a Hero” and “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”  When Gaynor signed her contract with RCA, they stipulated that Gaynor change her stage name from Sherene Davis to something that sounded less like a belly dancer.  She bought two newspapers from which she listed all the Christian names and surnames.  She tried many different combinations until she found one that suited her.  You may never have heard the names Gaynor Hopkins or Sherene Davis, but the world knows her as Bonnie Tyler. 

Sources:

1.     Abby Morgan, “Bonnie Tyler: ‘The older you get, the less you have to prove,’’’ Leicestershire Press, July 10, 2023, accessed May 10, 2026, https://leicestershirepress.com/2023/07/10/bonnie-tyler-the-older-you-get-the-less-you-have-to-prove/.

2.     “33.1/3^rd,” Record Collector, December 28, 2023, accessed May 10, 2026, https://recordcollectormag.com/articles/33-1-3rd-8.

3.     Goldmine Contributors, “Bonnie Tyler feels ‘The Best Is Yet To Come,’” Goldmine: the Music Collector’s Magazine, May 27, 2021, accessed May 10, 2026, https://www.goldminemag.com/interviews/pop/power-ballad-singer-bonnie-tyler-feels-the-title-is-perfect-for-her-latest-album-the-best-is-yet-to-come/.

For generations, blue jeans have survived fashion trends, school dress codes, road trips, concerts, awkward family photos and at least a few questionable DIY projects. And on May 20, one of the world’s most recognizable wardrobe staples celebrates a major milestone in history.

May 20 marks the anniversary of the 1873 patent that helped launch blue jeans into global fame. On that date, businessman Levi Strauss and tailor Jacob Davis received a U.S. patent for adding metal rivets to men’s work pants, creating a stronger and more durable product designed for laborers during the Gold Rush era.

At the time, the invention was practical. Workers needed clothing tough enough to survive mines, railroads and physically demanding jobs. More than 150 years later, those same rugged pants somehow became acceptable attire for everything from grocery runs to weddings held in barns.

The original riveted denim pants were intended for hardworking laborers in the American West. Today, they are just as likely to be worn by teenagers filming dance videos, tourists walking through Buc-ee’s or someone insisting they are “dressed up” because they chose dark denim instead of faded denim.

Jeans have become one of the few pieces of clothing capable of sparking universal emotional experiences. Nearly everyone has owned a pair that fit perfectly for exactly three weeks before shrinking, stretching or suddenly becoming uncomfortable for reasons science still cannot explain.

The evolution of denim trends has also created some memorable fashion eras. Over the decades, styles have ranged from bell-bottoms and acid wash to ripped skinny jeans and ultra-baggy designs large enough to store camping equipment in the pockets. Every generation has confidently declared its preferred version the correct one while criticizing the styles that came before and after it.

Despite changing trends, denim remains deeply tied to American culture. Blue jeans have appeared in movies, music, political campaigns and countless advertisements promoting the idea of rugged independence. They are worn by ranchers, celebrities, mechanics, teachers and people pretending they definitely did not just spill queso on themselves moments earlier.

Retail analysts say denim sales continue to remain strong even as athleisure wear and comfortable loungewear compete for closet space. Still, many shoppers continue searching for the mythical perfect pair of jeans — one that is comfortable, affordable, flattering and does not require Olympic-level flexibility to put on.

As May 20 rolls around, Americans once again celebrate an invention that managed to outlast countless fashion trends while remaining stubbornly difficult to shop for. More than a century after their invention, blue jeans remain one of the few things capable of making people simultaneously feel confident, nostalgic and personally attacked by fluorescent dressing room lighting.

Dear Fellow Citizens, 

I’m John Fleming, your State Treasurer and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.

This Saturday’s election is extremely important. DC lobbyists and Baton Rouge elites have poured millions into supporting their preferred candidate — NOT ME. 

At stake is the carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) industry’s push to use YOUR tax dollars to seize YOUR private land through eminent domain.  Estimates suggest that up to 75% of the nation’s CO2 emissions could be pumped beneath our lands, lakes, and rivers – ‘captured’ for eternity. The whole thing is a “Green New Deal” scam, which will make the elites wealthier at the expense of the rest of us.  I am the only candidate who is 100% opposed to this fraud and abuse.  

Don’t be fooled! The establishment and powers that be are trying to buy our Louisiana Senate seat. I can’t be bought, bribed, or bullied! 

Our future, and the future of our children and grandchildren, hangs in the balance. Please don’t sit this one out — vote this Saturday, May 16th.   Polls open at 7:00 a.m. 

Thank you,

John Fleming
Louisiana State Treasurer
Republican Candidate for the US Senate 

Paid Content

BATON ROUGE — Louisiana families may qualify for SUN Bucks, a summer grocery assistance program providing a one-time $120 benefit for each eligible school-aged child to help purchase food during the summer break.

The program applies to children ages 5 to 18 and is designed to assist families while school meal programs are unavailable during the summer months.

Most eligible children will automatically receive the benefit and do not need to apply. Automatic eligibility includes children born between Aug. 20, 2007, and July 1, 2020, who received SNAP, FITAP, KCSP or income-based Medicaid benefits at any time between July 1, 2025, and Aug. 20, 2026.

Children may also automatically qualify if they attend a school participating in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program and were approved individually for free or reduced-price meals.

Some families, however, will need to submit an application. This includes households with children attending Community Eligibility Provision schools where all students receive free meals but no meal application was completed. Families may also qualify based on household income even if they do not meet the automatic eligibility categories.

Applications for summer 2026 benefits will be accepted through Aug. 20, 2026. Approved applicants typically receive benefits within three weeks of approval.

Officials say SUN Bucks benefits will begin distribution in mid-May. Families already receiving SNAP or those who participated in SUN Bucks last summer will have benefits added to their existing EBT card. Other households will receive a preloaded EBT card by mail in a plain white envelope addressed to the child.

Families are encouraged to verify their mailing address information with Medicaid, FITAP, KCSP and their child’s school to avoid delays in receiving benefits.

SUN Bucks cards can be activated through the LifeInCheck app, by calling 888-997-1117 or online through the LifeInCheck EBT system. Cardholders will need the child’s Social Security information, birthdate and ZIP code to complete activation.

Officials also remind families to choose secure PIN numbers and avoid common patterns such as repeated or consecutive digits.

Residents across Winn Parish can expect several days of sunny skies and warm temperatures as a quiet weather pattern settles over the area through the upcoming weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters say daytime highs will remain steady near 89 degrees from Wednesday through Sunday, while overnight lows are expected to stay in the mid-to-upper 60s.

Wednesday’s forecast calls for sunny conditions and a high near 89 with calm winds throughout the day. Mostly clear skies are expected Wednesday night, with temperatures dipping to around 65 degrees.

Sunny weather continues Thursday with another high near 89. Thursday night is expected to be partly cloudy with lows once again near 65.

Friday will bring mostly sunny skies and warm afternoon temperatures approaching 89 degrees. Friday night is forecast to remain mostly clear with lows around 67.

The weekend forecast remains consistent, with mostly sunny conditions Saturday and Sunday and highs continuing near 89 degrees both days. Overnight temperatures are expected to fall into the upper 60s under mostly clear skies.

Meteorologists say no significant rain chances are currently expected during the extended forecast period, providing favorable conditions for outdoor activities across Winn Parish.

Residents are encouraged to stay hydrated and take precautions during the warm afternoon hours, especially those spending extended time outdoors.

The Winn Parish School System has announced the appointment of Brent Carpenter as the new principal of Winnfield Middle School.

School officials shared the announcement this week, welcoming Carpenter back to the campus and describing him as “a familiar leader” returning to serve the Winnfield Middle School family.

Carpenter brings leadership experience and familiarity with the school community as he steps into the role ahead of the upcoming academic year.

District leaders expressed excitement about his return, saying they believe his experience and commitment to education will help continue the school’s mission of supporting student success and academic growth.

The announcement was met with support and congratulations from faculty, staff, students, and community members across Winn Parish.

Winnfield Middle School serves students in the heart of Winn Parish and remains one of the district’s key campuses focused on academic achievement, student development, and school community engagement.

School officials say they look forward to Carpenter’s leadership and the continued progress of Winnfield Middle School under his direction.

The early voting period for the May 16, 2026, election has officially concluded in Winn Parish, with a total of 867 ballots cast through the final day on Saturday, May 9.

According to reports from the Louisiana Secretary of State, the majority of voters chose to participate in person, with 746 in-person votes and 121 absentee (mail) ballots processed throughout the week.

Voter Demographics

The demographic breakdown for the entire early voting period in Winn Parish is as follows:

• Race: 604 White voters, 257 Black voters, and 6 voters identified as Other.

• Sex: 516 Female voters and 350 Male voters.

Party Affiliation

Participation across party lines remained active throughout the week:

• Republicans: 401

• Democrats: 299

• Other/Other Parties: 167

Winn Parish Early Voting Recap

With the early voting period now complete, these totals represent the final count of ballots cast ahead of next week’s election.

Registered voters in Winn Parish who did not participate in early voting may cast their ballots at their designated precincts on election day, Saturday, May 16.

The Domestic Abuse Resistance Team (DART) is observing Mental Health Awareness Month by highlighting the non-linear nature of recovery and the importance of self-compassion for survivors. Serving the community since 1994, DART continues its mission to help keep families safe while providing resources for those navigating the emotional complexities of healing.

The organization emphasizes that healing does not have a fixed deadline and that “growth” can often be found in the simple act of surviving challenges that once felt insurmountable. During this month of awareness, residents are encouraged to practice patience with their mental health journey, acknowledging that some days will naturally feel heavier than others.

Key Messages for Mental Health Awareness:

• Healing is Individual: There is no “behind” in the healing process; it is a continuous state of becoming.

• Self-Compassion: Past versions of yourself deserve compassion rather than criticism.

• Persistence: It is vital to give yourself credit for the days you do not give up and grace for the days you are still figuring things out.

• Mental Resilience: Be gentle with your mind, as it is the tool carrying you through every life experience.

DART remains a steadfast resource for families in Winn Parish, offering support and safety for those affected by domestic abuse.