LEWISTON — With the overcast skies the past few days, some might think fall had already arrived. Local residents know fall officially arrives when the Niagara County Peach Festival takes place.
The 67th annual festival will take place from Sept. 6-9 at Lewiston’s Academy Park. The fundraiser put on by the Lewiston Kiwanis Club will feature 27 food vendors, the crowning of a new peach queen, and a famous name for its parade grand marshall.
“We estimate a crowd to be approximately 40,000 people, weather permitting,” said this year’s chairman Mark Briglio. More than 14,000 pounds of peaches are expected to be served with shortcake from DiCamillo Bakery.
Thursday, Sept. 4, will feature the Peach Taste Off at 5 p.m., with homemade peach desserts facing off on the Academy Park stage. The Peach Festival 5K run at 7 p.m., starting and finished at Kiwanis Park. At 8 p.m., Nerds Gone Wild will perform for two hours at the park stage.
Sept. 5 will have an all-star cheerleading competition at 5:30 p.m., with local units from cheering squads and youth football teams. Queen City will perform from 8:30 p.m. until the 11 p.m. closing.
Sept. 6’s Peach Festival Parade along Center Street starts at 11 a.m., with Dick Smothers of the famous Smothers Brothers comedy duo serving as the grand marshall. With veteran radio personality Brandy Scrufari serving as announcer, it will have 90 units participating including five marching bands and five dance units.
The Peach Blossom and Peach Fuzz contests go from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., respectively. This year’s Peach Queen contestants will conduct a fashion show from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Terry Buchwald will perform his Elvis tribute act at 8 p.m.
Sept. 9’s events include a dance showcase going from noon to 2 p.m. and Everyday People playing at 3 p.m.
The Peach Queen finals go from 7 to 10 p.m. Seventeen contestants are competing this year with the chance to win a $4,000 scholarship from the Lewiston Kiwanis Club.
Free parking will be available at the upper Artpark lot, with Greyline Tours shuttle buses providing courtesy rides from there to Academy Park.
Since this festival started in 1958, the Lewiston Kiwanis Club has raised over $1.8 million for area charities and organizations thanks to festival proceeds.
“When you come here and have a good time with your family,” you’re also putting money back into your community at the same time,” said President Tom Fontana.