The Texas heat didn’t stop folks from coming out to support the 39th annual Peanut Festival in downtown Aubrey on Saturday.
Estimates indicate 8,000 people attended the parade, a new record, said Rodney Cagle, the events and programs coordinator.
“It’s grown exactly like we wanted it to grow,” Cagle said.
Many local residents, like Michele Pritchett, who has attended the festival since 1998, have witnessed these changes.
“The parade used to take like five minutes,” she said. “You had the band, the drill team, a couple of tractors and the fire department, which was only like one truck. So, it’s just, it’s fabulous!”
Tyler Terrell, owner of Apex Tumbling in Pilot Point, recalls his earlier memories of performing with the company.
“We have been attending the Peanut Festival since I was a teenager and performing and just trying to have a lot of fun in the community,” he said.
He, too, has seen the growth explode lately.
“It’s grown incredibly over the last three or four years,” he said. “It’s incredibly organized this year, and we just really enjoy being a part of it. Beautiful weather, great people, a lot of fun.”
After the parade, the festivities continued into the evening, featuring live music from performers like Olivia Robinson and Mark Alexander, as well as food trucks and shop vendors.
Santiago Torres, owner of 2 Abuelos, a Latin American restaurant and food vendor, reflected on his third year at the festival.
“Doing business here has been really positive for us,” Torres said, explaining that it’s a great way to connect with the community, and he has plans to return next year.
The festival’s growth was also evident in the kids’ zone, which expanded to offer more activities for teens, such as axe throwing and carnival rides, in addition to bouncy houses and train rides.
While keeping true to tradition, “we made sure we had the pony rides,” Cagle said.
“We wanted to keep the Aubrey roots of the Horse Country,” he added.
Activities on Veterans Memorial Stage included four contests open to the community, allowing participants to showcase their talents in photography, peanut butter sandwich eating, peanut spitting and live painting.
For couple Krystian and Blake Cole, this was their first time at the peanut festival.
She won first place in the nature photo contest, and her husband won first place in the peanut butter sandwich eating competition.
“Honestly, the photo contest drew me in,” Krystian said. “Like, once I saw the listing for that, it was like, I definitely have to enter and go. But we also just bought a house here, so it feels like more permanent. And so, I was like, let’s just go and meet people and connect with the community that way.”
Planning for next year’s 40th anniversary has already begun, Cagle said.
To organize such an event, a dedicated team is crucial.
“Days like today, the entire staff of the city of Aubrey, it’s all hands-on deck,” Cagle said. “Everybody that works for the city of Aubrey is out here, from the guy who cuts the grass and works at the sewer plant all the way up to the city manager. Everybody’s feet are out here working, … so the team is everybody and everybody who comes out for the community.”
