Mark Knight of M&M Farms has perfected the art of growing good peaches.

Standing under the sweltering June sun on Saturday, Knight stood next to his basket of softball-sized Lucky 13 variety peaches, basking in the glow of his sixth straight win of growing Peach Auction first-place baskets.

“It is quite the honor,” Knight said. “I was surprised they went for so much in the auction but I am very pleased with the result.”

During the 66th year of Chilton County’s annual Peach Auction, Knight’s basket was purchased by the Chilton County Farmers Federation for $4,100, the highest amount paid for the first-place basket since 1996 and the third-highest total in the history of the auction.

Wendell Kelley with the Farmers Federation purchased the peaches and said the Farmers Federation likes to buy the first place baskets.

“I haven’t tasted one of the peaches yet; they are too expensive,” Kelley said laughingly.

Following is a list of the top five baskets, growers and winning bidders:

•First place: Peaches grown by M&M Farms, sold to the Chilton County Farmers Federation for $4,1 00.

•Second place: Peaches grown by Jerry Harrison, sold to Peoples Southern Bank for $1,600.

•Third place: Peaches grown by Todd’s Produce, sold to Kubota Tractor and Mickey Bates for $1,700.

•Fourth place: Peaches grown by Seth Knight with Knight Farms, sold to SunSouth Tractor for $1,000.

•Fifth place: Peaches grown by Jimmy Harrison, sold to The Clanton Advertiser for $800.

The Peach Auction was one of several events being held on Saturday for the final day of the 2013 Chilton County Peach Festival.

The annual Peach Festival Parade started at 9 a.m. in downtown Clanton.

11-month-old Payson Edwards attended her first Peach Festival with her mom, Beth Edwards.

“She is really enjoying everything today,” Beth Edwards said. “She got to try a green popsicle and has really enjoyed that.”

Read more about all the festival events, and see many more photos, in The Clanton Advertiser’s Peach Festival Wrap-up special section in Tuesday’s newspaper.

To see a photo gallery from Saturday’s festivities, click here.