This vendor is busy bagging freshly made peach pies for customers that braved the heat for this weekend’s Peach Festival.

MARYSVILLE, CA (MPG) - With the heat of summer upon us and the warm weather sweetening the peach crops of the Yuba and Sutter counties, it is once again time for the 24th annual Marysville Peach Festival.

The peach festival, started by the local Sodaro family, has brought food, festivities, fun and, of course, fruit, to the humid July evenings of Marysville for more than two decades. The tradition continued July 19th.

Beginning Friday, residents could work their way down Marysville’s D street, being greeted by friendly vendors peddling a huge variety of goods from food to fashion, while strolling street performers engaged little ones.

The 2024 Peach Festival’s event lineup definitely elicited smiles as it was full of music and entertainment for all ages, and there was plenty of peach-inspired cuisine to enjoy.

There were two stages set up at each end of the festival, where bands Skynyrd Nation — a tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd — performed and Daffney Payne’s edgy rock-inspired tunes would have festival goers up and dancing in the streets under café-style lighting.

The highlight of this year’s Peach Festival was, of course, the intense pie-eating contest. Participants stood on either side of a long table, staring down at intimidating peach pies. Extremely high temperatures and extra-sweet peach pie made speedily downing the pastries difficult, but a winner would emerge victorious Friday afternoon.

A hilarious, yet somehow serious, tradition of the Peach Festival is the pie eating contest. This year’s contestants get ready for some serious competition.

Later that evening, the Mayor of Marysville, Chris Branscum, would award the prestigious John Sodaro Onore Award to Loran and Helen Perkins of Marysville. This is the third year the Onore Award has been given, and the honor went to the Perkins’ for their contributions to the community over the years.

Congressman Doug La Malfa said a few words before the recipients of the Didar Bains Award was announced. This honor recognizes a community member that has demonstrated exceptional leadership and vision.

Karm Bains, son of “Peach King” Didar Bains, presented the award to John Kenyon and Laura Rosellini who voluntarily took on the task of cleaning up Ellis Lake for the community.

Other key events in the Peach Festival lineup were that of the Peach Royalty Competition, brought to the festival by the Heartshine Foundation. A heartwarming program featuring talented youth and adults; the pageant was a bright spot in the lineup as a new court was crowned.

Sweet Baby Miss Heartshine California smiles as she speaks to the crowd during the Peach Royalty Competition brought to the festival by the Heartshine Foundation.

The Peach Festival Pub Crawls, 140 exhibitors, treats from peach chili dogs to peach ceviche, Peach Festival 5K/10K and kids zone brought tons of peachy-fun for everyone to enjoy at the 24th Annual Peach Festival.