Judd's Pay It Forward Picnic: September 19 at The Rail Yard

About the picnic

Judd's Pay It Forward is a Paris-based nonprofit that supports local children facing critical, life-threatening, and terminal illnesses. In its first 12 months the organization reports giving more than $50,000 to 12 local families, and the inaugural picnic in 2025 raised $90,075, a strong start that organizers are building on for year two.

The event itself is an old-fashioned community cookout: a beer garden, live music, a live auction, kid activities, and plenty of picnic tables under the open sky at The Rail Yard. The 2025 debut billed a lineup that included Michael O'Neal and other regional acts, with the 2026 lineup announced through the foundation's social channels in the weeks before the event.

Tickets and getting involved

Tickets are $25, with children 10 and under admitted free, and the admission price includes food. Tickets and donation options are available through the event's official website, and proceeds go directly to families in the Paris area facing pediatric medical crises. The foundation also welcomes sponsorships from local businesses, which can be arranged through the site.

Because proceeds stay local, the picnic is one of those events where a single ticket makes a measurable difference for a neighbor's family. For residents, it is a chance to combine a Saturday out with tangible community support.

Why it matters for Paris

Community fundraisers of this scale do double duty in a small city. They raise the dollars and visibility that support families when they need it most, and they fill a weekend slate that brings people downtown and to venues like The Rail Yard. A civic culture that shows up for its neighbors is also one of the intangibles that commercial property investors and new residents weigh when choosing where to build a business, or a future.