The Rice Harvest Festival officially kicks off with its parade on October 5, starting at 9 a.m., with a flurry of floats and participants representing Katy’s rice farming heritage and everything Katy.

The parade route will start at East Avenue and Fifth Street, then turn south at Avenue A, heading west on Second Street, then north on Avenue C to Tenth Street.

About 40 entries are expected, according to City of Katy Parks & Recreation Director Kevin Browne. While no high school bands have signed up to march in this year’s event, cheer squads from many area schools will participate. There are no grand marshals for the parade.

What else should attendees anticipate? “There are usually two to three surprises every year,” said Browne. “We’ll find out on October 5.”

The surprises just add to the excitement, said Kaci Maris, tourism and marketing event coordinator for the City of Katy.

Entrants in the parade will compete for trophies and bragging rights in the categories of “Best in Show,” “Best Use of Rice,” and “Most Innovative.” Three judges, who are members of Keep Katy Beautiful and the Parks Advisory Board, will assess the entries and award the prizes in the staging area prior to the parade, so that the winners can show off their trophies on the parade route.

The deadline to sign up for the parade was September 22. “However, we can make some exceptions,” said Maris. ”Just emailkatyriceharvest@cityofkaty.com.”

The parade route and street closure information can be found at katyriceharvestfestival.com/parade.