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.
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.
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.
