South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson will be the parade grand marshal on July 4th
On July 4th, this year’s grand marshal for the 57th Lexington County Peach Festival parade will be South Carolina Attorney General, Alan Wilson. Wilson will also be the Festival’s 11 a.m. program speaker in the Gilbert Primary School cafetorium. The parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a fly-over from Bell Aviation. Weather permitting, Don Bell will provide a fly-over in an N3N. Bell’s plane was built in 1940 at the Naval Aircraft factory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was used in World War II for training.
Each year as a part of the July 4th celebration, the Peach Festival encourages the community to thank veterans and current servicemen and servicewomen for their military service. Alan Wilson, serving his second term as Attorney General, earned the Combat Action Badge while serving in Iraq with the South Carolina National Guard. Now as a Lt. Colonel, he continues his military service by providing legal support for soldiers and assisting in the prosecution of military crimes. Elected for his first term as Attorney General in 2010, Wilson has focused on keeping South Carolina a safe place to live, work and to raise a family. The public is invited to hear Wilson speak at 11 a.m. in the GPS cafetorium.
The parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. with Don Bell in an N3N fly-over
At 9 a.m. in the GPS cafetorium, the annual Peachy Contest judging will begin. Two categories are a part of the contest: Salads & Main Dishes and Desserts. Each peachy dish submitted must include at least two cups of fresh peaches. Contestants must submit a neatly written recipe for each dish that is submitted and complete an entry form. First place winners in each category will receive $75, and second place winners will receive $50. Entries are judged on imaginative use of peaches, simplicity and ease of preparation, appearance, and taste.
The Gilbert Community Club has been sponsoring the Lexington County Peach Festival since it started in 1959.