Marysville Peach Festival returns amid hotel fire: ‘Don’t be afraid to come Downtown’

(FOX40.COM) — The 24th annual Marysville Peach Festival will continue even after a massive fire destroyed the heart of the area where the event normally takes place.
• Video Above: Historic Hotel Marysville destroyed by flames (June 15, 2024)

On June 15, a fire scorched through the historic Hotel Marysville at 420 5th Street. Since then, roads have remained closed and the building is blocked off 105 feet from each direction in case of a building collapse. The area is usually the annual host for the Marysville Peach Festival, so all of the chaos left some community members wondering if the peachy event would still happen.

“One thing that Marysville is great at is adapting and overcoming,” Marysville Peach Festival coordinator Kary Hauck told FOX40.com. “We made some minor modifications to the footprint and charged forward.”

The festival is scheduled to happen on July 19 and 20, two blocks away from its usual location. Attendees can expect the event to start just north of the 3rd and D street intersection and head north on D Street to 9th Street. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Street will be open to detoured traffic.

Hauck said the fire has not had a major impact on the festival, but some people are still fearful to be in the area.

“Don’t be afraid to come to Downtown Marysville,” Hauck said. “Caltrans, OES, and the city have done a really good job of managing the area. A fence has been installed to keep everyone safe, but I don’t think there’s a need to worry about a structural failure.”

The Marysville Peach Festival is expected to have dozens of delectable peach foods: hot dogs with peach relish, tri-tip sandwiches with peach barbecue sauce, peach shaved ice, peach jams and jellies, gyros with peach chutney, corndog with peach aioli, and more.

Visitors can also look forward to desserts, beverages, local bands, a peach pie eating contest, a children’s area, and more than 150 vendors.

“Your peachiest dreams are about to come true!” coordinators wrote on the event webpage.

In addition, Hauck said several downtown businesses have been struggling since the fire, so she hopes the festival will also provide the boost they need.

Downtown Marysville Traffic

As the event gets closer, Hauck said recommendations on navigating through Marysville for the Peach Festival will be released. She said the event’s webpage will include assistance on parking and tips to avoid traffic delays.

On June 17, officials advised the public of heavy traffic in Downtown Marysville and recommended commuters use alternative routes. They warned that traveling through the area could take much longer than usual.

“Traffic is not as bad as some reports say,” Hauck said. “Caltrans has done a great job of providing detours, and I’ve actually been able to get through Marysville faster now than I have before.”

For more information on the Marysville Peach Festival visit marysvillepeachfest.com.