Peach Festival draws more than 16,000 to NOTL
The star of this past weekend's love affair: fresh Ontario peaches, for sale by the box on Friday and Saturday on Queen Street.
The star of this past weekend's love affair: fresh Ontario peaches, for sale by the box on Friday and Saturday on Queen Street. MADDY GORDON
Queen Street was a hive of activity during the Peach Festival, with more than 16,000 guests coming out over two days to the festival.
Queen Street was a hive of activity during the Peach Festival, with more than 16,000 guests coming out over two days to the festival. MADDY GORDON
Ally and Ben Shoveller with their young daughters at the festival. Since moving to Niagara six years ago, they've attended the festival almost every years. "It's really since we’ve been in Niagara that we’ve understood how big agriculture in general is,” Ben said.
Ally and Ben Shoveller with their young daughters at the festival. Since moving to Niagara six years ago, they've attended the festival almost every years. "It's really since we’ve been in Niagara that we’ve understood how big agriculture in general is,” Ben said. MADDY GORDON
From danishes, tarts, cannolis, pie and more, attendees have more than enough to satisfy their sweet tooths with peach-themed desserts for sale.
From danishes, tarts, cannolis, pie and more, attendees have more than enough to satisfy their sweet tooths with peach-themed desserts for sale. MADDY GORDON
Dozens of boxes of fresh peaches for sale, sold by Niagara-based peach farmers. While this summer's floods made things difficult for farmers in the area and caused concerns for the fruit supply, the festival managed to have four farmers at the event to sell peaches.
Dozens of boxes of fresh peaches for sale, sold by Niagara-based peach farmers. While this summer's floods made things difficult for farmers in the area and caused concerns for the fruit supply, the festival managed to have four farmers at the event to sell peaches. MADDY GORDON
Maddy Gordon
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With a fruity aroma on Queen Street and guests in peachy attire, NOTL was painted orange for the Peach Festival on Friday and Saturday.

The event is a tradition for many Niagara locals who come for peach-themed treats and outdoor activities.

This year’s festival spanned two days and welcomed more than 16,000 guests, one of the biggest turnouts that Terry Dow, NOTL Chamber of Commerce’s interim executive director, says she has ever seen.

The large selection of peach goodies is a highlight for both attendees and organizers.

“Peach cannolis, peach grilled cheese, peach pie, peach custard … Who knew there would be peach salsa? People get very creative with what they can make with the peaches,” Dow said.

Another mouth-watering staple of the festival was the annual pie contest, judged this year by Chamber of Commerce chair David Leveque, original “Peach Princess” Odarka Kish, Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates and Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa. Kish was the winner of the festival’s beauty pageant in 1972.

This year’s pie contest winner is Charlie Maxwell, whose inclusion of cinnamon and nutmeg made her tart stand out among the 11 entries.

One of the most popular food items of the event is, unsurprisingly, fresh peaches. But due to the agricultural damage caused by this summer’s flooding, Dow said there were concerns that farmers wouldn’t be able to provide the fruit.

“Just to be able to even get farmers out of their farms for two days, especially during the harvest, is a very difficult thing to do,” she said. “But we were so lucky. We had four local peach farmers who came to the festival this year.”

Tracy Kent, manager at Neob Lavender, said although the flood impacted the lavender farm, the business was able to bounce back and be ready for the festival’s thousands of guests.

“A lot of our customers are out-of-town people. There were quite a few buses that actually came into town for the Peach Festival specifically,” she said. “Once people get here and know kind of what the town’s going through, helping support the local people is a big draw too.”

The Peach Festival supports the local economy through uplifting both local farms and businesses, including Neob Lavender. For Ally and Ben Shoveller, celebrating local food is a fun part of the festivities.

The couple says they have attended the festival almost every year since moving to Niagara in 2020.

“It’s really since we’ve been in Niagara that we’ve understood how big agriculture in general is,” Ben said.

The family wore peach-themed outfits to the festival, including Peach Festival shirts from Cool As A Moose on Queen Street.

Store manager Alyissa Weasner says the shirts sell quickly due to the community’s enthusiasm for the event.

“I think it’s such a staple because there are so many local farmers around us, and it’s good to support them as well … it’s good to have an event where we can have them out here,” she said.

Like peach shirts at Cool As A Moose and peach lotions at Noeb Lavender, NOTL gets innovative when it comes to the Peach Festival.

“I like the creativity and seeing how people decide to incorporate peaches into what they normally do,” Ally Shoveller said.

Matching with Percy the Peach, the event mascot, there were big smiles on attendees’ faces throughout the weekend — left behind were only empty fruit crates and the faint smell of peach in the air.

“We get to showcase our peaches and the agriculture that we have here in Niagara,” Dow said. “You could see by the crowds that were out on Friday and Saturday how much people just look forward to that event every year.”

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