Jay Neal will lead the Katy Rice Harvest Festival Parade on Saturday, Oct. 3, as the event's first Grand Marshal since the City of Katy took over the festival.
Neal serves as associate vice president for academic affairs and chief operating officer for the University of Houston at Sugar Land and Katy, where he oversees instructional sites serving more than 6,000 students. He has held leadership positions at UH for more than two decades and also teaches as an associate professor in the Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership.
The parade begins at 9 a.m. in historic downtown Katy.
UH is returning as the festival's presenting sponsor for the second consecutive year. The university contributed $20,000 in 2025 and another $20,000 in 2026, bringing its combined investment to $40,000, the Katy Times reported. The festival, organized by the City of Katy and the Rotary Club of Katy, sends 100 percent of its net proceeds to scholarships for local students and grants for community organizations.
That pipeline delivered more than $100,000 in scholarships alone last year, according to festival organizer Kaci Maris, the city's tourism and events coordinator, as reported by Katy Magazine.
"We could not be more excited to welcome Dr. Neal as our Grand Marshal and to bring this special tradition back to the Katy Rice Harvest Festival," Mayor Dusty Thiele said. "Dr. Neal has become a valued partner and friend to our community …"
Thiele called Neal's selection an opportunity to recognize his leadership while thanking UH for years of support for the festival, local students and community organizations.
Maris, herself a former scholarship recipient at UH's C. T. Bauer College of Business, said the university's continued support helps create the same opportunities for local students while giving back to organizations across the community.
Neal sits on boards and advisory committees focused on education, economic development and workforce advancement throughout Katy and Fort Bend County. The Katy ISD Navy JROTC All-Service Color Guard is among the groups lined up to march in the parade.
The broader 2026 Katy Rice Harvest Festival runs 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, at Historic Town Square, 904 Avenue C. Details are available at katyriceharvestfestival.com.
Upcoming community events
- Saturday, Oct. 3: Katy Rice Harvest Festival Parade, 9 a.m., historic downtown Katy
- Oct. 10–11: Katy Rice Harvest Festival, Historic Town Square, 904 Avenue C (Saturday 10 a.m.–10 p.m., Sunday noon–6 p.m.)
