Sponsors, volunteers still sought for Katy Rice Festival

By George Slaughter, News Editor
Posted 9/8/22

Sponsorship and volunteer roles remain open as Katy Rice Festival organizers finalize preparations for the festival, which will be Oct. 7-9 in Downtown Katy.

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Sponsors, volunteers still sought for Katy Rice Festival

Posted

Sponsorship and volunteer roles remain open as Katy Rice Festival organizers finalize preparations for the festival, which will be Oct. 7-9 in Downtown Katy.

The festival takes place between 1st Street and 4th Street and Avenue A and Avenue D. Tickets are $10, with free admission for children 12 years of age and under. Free parking is available at the Merrell Center, 6301 S. Stadium Dr. A free shuttle service will take people from the Merrell Center to and from the festival.

Festivities are from 6-10 p.m. Oct. 7, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Oct. 8, and 12-6 p.m. Oct. 9.

The Katy Rice Festival Parade, set for Oct. 1, is also seeking entries. Parade entry fee is $25 per entry. Nonprofit groups and schools are free. Organizers encourage all parade entries to decorate their floats and vehicles, particularly with rice, historic, or Katy themes. Awards will be given in three categories: Best Use of Rice, Best in Show, and Most Creative. Winners will be announced, with trophies awarded before the start of the parade.

The parade lineup starts at 7:30 a.m. in the Katy Church of Christ parking lot, 5458 E. 5th St. All entries must be in place no later than 8:30 a.m. Late arrivals might not be granted entry into the parade route. Parade judging will take place in the staging area.

Parade entry deadline is Sept. 23. For more information about the parade, visit the parade page at katyricefestival.com/parade.

The Rotary Club of Katy takes the net proceeds from the festival and donates them to local student and charities through scholarships and donations.

Prospective volunteers are asked to visit the volunteer page on the Katy Rice Festival website, the abbreviated URL for which is bit.ly/3RBsC0N. They are asked to review the job listings, decide what jobs they wish to do, and what shifts they wish to work, and complete the form.

Sponsorship deadline is Friday. Sponsorship levels range from $250-$10,000. For more information on sponsorships, visit the sponsorship page at katyricefestival.com/sponsors, complete the form, and return it to katyricefestival@cityofkaty.com, or drop off the completed form at the receptionist desk at City Hall, 901 Ave. C.

Vendor deadline was Aug. 8.

The festival began in 1978 and draws visitors from across Texas and other states. The first such celebration, called a “Sellabration,” was intended to honor the local rice farmers and their contributions to the local economy. The festival became known as the Rice Harvest Festival when it was held the second weekend of October in 1981.

The City of Katy took over festival sponsorship from the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce in 2018, and changed the name to the Katy Rice Festival.

Katy Rice Festival, Katy Rice Festival Parade