Local residents and organizations plan to parade through the streets of historic downtown Katy Oct. 5 to kick off the week-long celebration leading up to the 33^rd annual Rice Harvest Festival. At 10 a.m. participants plan to leave from the Katy Church of Christ at 5458 5^th Street, work their way west to Avenue A, then south passing around city hall on 2^nd Street before turning north on Avenue C to end at Adorable Reception Hall at 10^th Street.

Judges will award prizes to the best overall parade entry as well as the best in a variety of categories including school, youth organization, commercial, church and others.

The parade is planned in anticipation of the Rice Harvest Festival, which is scheduled for the following weekend, Oct. 12-13. All of the vendor sites for this year's festival are sold out and there is a waiting list for interested vendors, according to festival organizers. The festival will be located on Avenues B and C and 2nd and 3rd Streets—the area around city hall.

The festival has more than 330 craft and food booths, around 30 more than last year. Historically, weather permitting, it has attracted upwards of 45,000 to 50,000 visitors. Last year those numbers were spoiled by a rainy weekend.

The festival began in 1978 as a "Sellabration" hosted by the Tri County Optimists. The event was held in VFW Park and grew quickly. In 1981, a coalition of groups including the City of Katy, the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce and the Westside Art Guild inherited the event from the Optimists, renamed it the Rice Harvest Festival and moved it downtown.

Advance tickets are available until Oct. 10 at the Chamber for $8 per day for adults. Children 10 and under and members of the military, law enforcement, and EMS with proper identification are admitted free.

Shuttle parking will be available both festival days at the Katy Mills Mall parking lot—in front of Sun and Ski Sports.

Festival hours are Saturday 10 a.m. until midnight, and Sunday 12–6 p.m.