St. Vincent de Paul celebrates 34th annual Peach Festival

St. Vincent de Paul Church, the originator of the Peach Festival, will hold its 34th annual event Sunday, Aug. 13.

Terry Choules and his wife Sharyn have been organizing the St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church fundraiser for about seven years. With a two-year gap due to COVID, this year they will again offer the popular traditions, including fresh peaches for sale, donated by local growers.

Choules says not enough recognition is given to local peach growers, many of them now second generation farmers donating peaches.

“We have about 20 farmers who have been donation fresh peaches since the beginning of the Peach Festival. Some of them are parishioners but most are not. They just want to support their community. The parish is very thankful for their support over all these years.”

Last year, 500 peach pies disappeared, and this year there will be 600 for sale, says Choules. He explained they cut back for the first event post-COVID, thinking there would be still some regulars hesitating to attend, but having seen how quickly the pies went, they aren’t concerned about that this year. As in recent years, with volunteers getting older and not having enough hands to bake pies, they are relying on a St. Catharines bakery to deliver the same great quality fresh-baked pies as in the past.

But they are fortunate, he says, to have a small committee of people organizing the event, and more than 100 volunteers to look after all the booths, including pies cut into slices with ice cream, and all the peach treats of the past, including peach crepes and sundaes.

Guitarist and singer Jon Libera will be back to entertain, there will face-painting and balloons for the kids, and the white elephant, jewelry and used books tables will be available.

The barbecue will feature hot dogs and burgers, and PigOut will offer pork on a bun.

Although the event is popular with locals, Choules says it attracts visitors as well, especially those who come on bus tours and walk past the church from the Fort George parking lot to Queen Street. “They come in droves, and many stop by. They might buy something and ask us to hold it for them, so they can pick it up on their way back, and we do.”

This year the annual raffle has three terrific prizes, including two nights at a Vintage Hotel, with two breakfasts and dinners included; second prize is a spa treatment at 124 on Queen, a hydrotherapy and dinner or lunch;  and the third prize is a Niagara Helicopter ride over Niagara Falls for two. There will also be some smaller prizes, says Choules.

Something new this year is that the festival will be offering the opportunity to pay for food purchases with debit and credit cards, as well as cash.

All that is needed now to make the festival a success is good weather, and Choules says it’s usually a perfect, hot summer day.

“Our priest always says a prayer beforehand, and he jokes that ‘the Lord is on our side.’ And he is.”

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 13 at the St. Vincent de Paul Church, at 73 Picton Street.