SHELBURNE — Residents looking for a weekend pit stop may consider visiting Apex Orchards for its annual Peach Fest.
Apex Orchards will celebrate the crop on Saturday, Aug. 30, and Sunday, Aug. 31. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., residents are invited to come pick their own peaches, sample peach-based recipes and participate in a peach cooking contest.
“We always have a really good time on Peach Fest weekend,” said Tara Lenahan, a farm store manager at Apex Orchards.
Throughout the weekend, attendees can peruse artwork and crafts made by local vendors, and enjoy peach cotton candy, paninis from Northampton-based food truck Caravan Kitchen and fresh apple cider doughnuts.
“We’ll have our mini cider doughnuts trailer that will be actively making fresh cider doughnuts,” Lenahan said. “It’s going to be a busy weekend.”
In addition to the activities that will be available throughout the weekend, Apex Orchards will have a few special attractions for each day of the festival.
On Saturday, there will be face painting, drinks from Four Phantoms Brewing Co. and a peach cooking demonstration with local cookbook author Tinky Weisblat. There will also be a peach cooking contest where attendees can showcase their own skills and recipes, or take inspiration from some peach-themed recipes that Apex Orchards has available on its website.
“We’ve had some delicious recipes in the past,” Lenahan said.
On Sunday, attendees can enjoy coffee from Stout Pigeon Coffee Co. and live music from singer/songwriter Tobey Sol LaRoche.
Lenahan added that visitors will also be able to pick up some peaches from the farm store or pick their own. Peaches will still be available for at least this weekend and the first weekend of September, and possibly later into the fall.
“We can usually go a few weeks into September, and I’m actually still waiting on a few varieties of peaches to come up,” Lenahan noted.
This weekend will also be the first weekend that pick-your-own apples will be available.
For more information about Peach Fest, visit apexorchards.com.