The clock is ticking for groups interested in joining country music singer Kenneth Wright at this year's South Carolina Peach Festival parade.

Parade entries are due by June 30. The festival plans to have floats, marching bands, shriners and winners from this year's beauty pageant participate in the parade. The parade will be Saturday, July 18 at 9 a.m. at Thomson Park and run through downtown Gaffney before disbanding on Railroad Avenue.

Entry fees are $75 for businesses, and $100 for political candidates. There is a $25 fee for nonprofits.

Wright is the grand marshal for the Peach Festival parade and will perform in concert with his band, The Hostile Witnesses. He is scheduled to play at the festival's Family Fun Day which begins following the morning parade.

Wright will sign autographs and promote his new CD "Good Guy, Bad Guy" during his Peach Festival appearance. Parade entry forms are available on the festival's Web site at www.scpeachfestival.org

The Blacksburg Rotary Club is again sponsoring the South Carolina Peach Festival New Talent Night, to be held Tuesday, July 14 at 7:30 p.m. in Fullerton Auditorium on the campus of Limestone College.

There will be two age categories - those under 15 and those 15 and older. A $100 cash prize will be awarded to the first place winner in each division and a $50 cash prize will be presented to the second place winner. Anyone wishing to enter the Local Talent Night may pick up an application at the Blacksburg office of American Community Bank, Peach Festival Headquarters at the Chamber of Commerce or at Correll Insurance Group in Gaffney. The application is also available on the SC Peach Festival web-site at www.scpeachfestival.org under forms.

Deadline to enter the contest is Friday, July 10 at 5 p.m. Tickets for the New Talent Night are $6. There is a $5 entry fee for individuals and a $10 entry fee for groups of two or more.

Contact Ed Elliott at 489-5788 or 489-1298 for more information.