Former president Jimmy Carter appears at peanut festival ahead of 99th birthday

Former US president Jimmy Carter (John Bazemore/AP/PA)

Former US president Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, made a surprise appearance at the Plains Peanut Festival in their Georgia home town, the Carter Centre wrote in a social media post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The former president and his wife are seen in a video riding through the festivities in a Black SUV.

“Beautiful day for President & Mrs Carter to enjoy a ride through the Plains Peanut Festival! And just a week before he turns 99,” the Carter Centre wrote on X after sharing the video taken by a spectator.

The former president is 98 and has been in home hospice care since February. He turns 99 on October 1.

Beautiful day for President & Mrs. Carter to enjoy a ride through the Plains Peanut Festival! And just a week before he turns 99.

We’re betting peanut butter ice cream is on the menu for lunch!#JimmyCarter99 https://t.co/c3b9OqzjXU

— The Carter Center (@CarterCenter) September 23, 2023

The former first lady has been diagnosed with dementia. The couple this summer marked their 77th wedding anniversary, extending their record as the nation’s longest-married first couple.

“It was amazing considering that he is in hospice care, and he is tough enough to come out here. In my opinion, he is one of the toughest men to serve as president, and he is my favorite,” Reed Elliotte, a Kentucky resident, told WALB-TV.