Oley ready for annual peach festival

In September it is the smell of Oley Fair French Fries that leads people to the Oley Fairgrounds, but one month before that it is the refreshing taste of freshly peeled peaches and vanilla ice cream that headlines the list of desserts for that evening. For the past 10 years, the Oley Fire Company has operated a Peach Festival as one of their fundraisers for the year. Hundreds of people flock to the Oley Fairgrounds on the second Saturday of August (August 11) to not only eat Peaches and Ice Cream but to also partake of the many food choices available, meet up with friends and family, enjoy some entertainment and conclude the evening with a gigantic fireworks display.

This year’s version of the Oley Fire Company Peach Festival will once again keep visitors busy with plenty to do and eat. For the third consecutive year the Bill Conrad Memorial Quoit tournament will be held which gets underway at 8 a.m. Last year more than 60 teams were registered and the committee expects even more this year. A portion of these proceeds will benefit the Moments of Peace Adventures which is a non-profit organization that provides hunting and fishing trips for terminally ill children. Pre-registration is required for the quoit tournament. The Berks County Pullers will also be back presenting tractor pulls starting at 12 noon.

The main thrust of the Peach Festival will get underway at 2 p.m. with the opening of the food stands and the beginning of the Car Cruise as well as the Antique Tractor Show. Music by Twitty Fever will be on stage from 6 to 9 p.m. and fireworks will be presented at 9:30 p.m. Bingo will also be available in the air conditioned Oley Fair Centre from 4 to 9 p.m. There will be games for the kids and adults as well as Hobo & Spirit the clowns will entertain the children.

The Oley Valley Community Library Group will once again have a book sale on the fairgrounds to benefit the Oley Valley Community Library. Hundreds of books will be available for sale and at the same time, if you are cleaning out at home, bring your gently used books along to donate to this fine group.

Back again this year will be an Oley Valley Business Association Business Expo. This expo will have many local business people showcasing their products as you walk around their display which will be inside the “flower building” on the fairgrounds. Any business interested in being a part of this should contact the Oley Business Association.

The annual Peach Dessert Contest will once again be open to any and all contestants and will continue with two divisions again this year. Children up to 18 years of age will be competing for their own prize money of $75, $50, $25, $20, $10 and those 19 years of age and older will compete for $150, $75, $50, $25, $ 20. This contest is being sponsored by Edge Abstract. The contest will be held in the Oley Fair Centre with a panel of judges tasting each dessert. Entries must be received by 5 p.m. that day.

For more information regarding the Peach Festival, please feel free to contact us at 610-987-3469 or visit the Oley Fire Company Web Site at www.oleyfirecompany.com. Anyone having an interest in helping to peel peaches on Thursday or Friday evenings before the Peach Festival, please contact Kevin Bieber at 484-256-8009.