The Katy Rice Harvest Festival is here! Spanning October 11-12, 2025, the festival features over 100 vendor booths, offering tasty food, live performances and handcrafted items. If you’re getting excited about the festival but are worried your hearing loss will get in the way, let’s take a look at a few communication tips to make the most out of this exciting weekend.
Clean and Tune Your Hearing Aids
Approximately 28.8 million U.S. adults could benefit from hearing aids. Your hearing aids are the perfect tool to improve your festival experience. Cleaning and fine-tuning your devices will help them perform their best. Do the following to clean them before the festival:
- Wipe down each device with a soft, dry cloth
- Using a wax pick from your cleaning kit, remove any wax or debris from the mic and small crevices
- Clean out the vents with a vent tool
After cleaning, charge them overnight or check the battery life in devices with disposable batteries. Next, review your settings. If your devices use environment-specific modes, ensure they’re set to a program designed for louder or more active sound environments.
Sit at the Front
If you’re attending one of the live music performances, head there early and grab a spot near the front. Not only will sitting at the front help you hear the performers, but you’ll also get a better view.
Make Eye Contact With the Vendors
Tables full of hand-crafted wares are fun to peruse, but you’ll have an easier time understanding the vendors if you’re both looking at each other.
Be Open About Your Hearing Loss
Let the vendors and other people you’re interacting with know that you have hearing loss. Don’t be afraid to ask them to repeat themselves, especially regarding their prices. Most people are more than happy to help where they can.
Bring a Friend
Festivals are an experience meant to be shared. Bringing a close friend gives you someone to talk to, and they can always step in and clarify information if you miss it.
By following these tips, you can enjoy the best Rice Harvest Festival yet. For more information on managing your hearing loss at this festival or the next, schedule an appointment with one of our specialists at Davies Institute for Speech & Hearing today.