By George Slaughter
Organizers of the annual Katy Rice Festival are preparing for an in-person festival this year, a welcome return following last year’s online event.
“We’re definitely looking for sponsors,” Gary Moore, who takes over as festival director this year, said. “We’re filling up the vendor booths. It’s an ongoing process.”
Last year’s festival went online because of the pandemic. The festival, set for October 8-10, brings tens of thousands of people to downtown Katy.
“Anybody that we talk to about it is very excited about it being in-person this year,” Moore said.
For those who attended the 2019 festival—that is, the last in-person event—much will remain the same. It will be in downtown Katy, between 1st Street and 4th Street and Avenue A and Avenue D.
“The event is going to keep its focus on the community,” Moore said. “It’s a city festival. We don’t want to stray from that at all.”
Some tweaks are planned, however. Moore said that electronic ticketing will be introduced this year, though those hoping to buy a ticket at the gate will be able to do so.
Perhaps the most visible tweak is the renovated downtown plaza.
The city has in recent years redeveloped the downtown area, including the plaza. Today the plaza features a visitor center, public restroom, and open space. The city has worked to complete the renovations this year as the pandemic has begun to subside and people are moving about more following the lockdown.
The music will also be more diverse, Moore said.
“We’ve had Texas country music with a few cover bands,” Moore said. “We’re going to try and diversify with some Latin-flavor music and R&B.”
The festival will continue to use the parking and shuttle setups as it has in the past. The shuttle service will transport festival-goers from the Leonard E. Merrell Center parking lot, 6301 S. Stadium Lane, to the festival.
On Friday, October 8, the event will be free, with live music and food trucks.
On Saturday, October 9, the event will from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with full activities and all vendor booths open.
On Sunday, October 10, the event will run from 12 to 6 p.m., again with full activities and vendor booths open.
This is the 43rd year for the festival. The first such celebration, called a “Sellabration,” was held in 1978. Its purpose was to honor the local rice farmers and their contributions to the local economy.
The festival is the culmination of a year’s worth of planning and many volunteer hours. For many years, the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce sponsored the event, which was known as the Katy Rice Harvest Festival. In 2018, the City of Katy took over festival sponsorship and slightly changed the name.
The Katy Rotary Club takes the proceeds and funds student scholarships and local charities. That practice will continue, Moore said.
“They’ve been good, strong partners,” Moore said.
For more information, visit the festival website.