Peach Blossom Festival returns to Wilbraham

June 14, 2018 | Payton North
payton@thereminder.com

WILBRAHAM – Looking to sink your teeth into peachy goodies, shop around for gifts from local vendors and entertain the kid’s with carnival games? Well look no further–Wilbraham’s Peach Blossom Festival is back on June 16, rain or shine.

The Wilbraham Peach Blossom Festival will be an all-day affair at 883 Tinkham Rd., also known as Fountain Park in Wilbraham. The event will host a slew of local artisan vendors, as well as individuals who partake in multi-level marketing [MLM] and direct-to-market sales.

This year, the shopping experience at the Peach Blossom Festival is separated in two sections, one that will host the artisans selling their wares, and the other called the “Peach Field Mall” where MLM vendors and manufactured items for sale will be featured.
“We have all different vendors, so far, there are 84,” member of the Peach Blossom Festival Board of Directors Jennifer Powell shared. “A lot of the vendors are selling items to raise money for other people.”

Powell explained a few vendors including jewelry makers, local beekeepers with their honey products, painters, the owner of Springfield Macarons and The Nut Guys.
“This years Peach Blossom Festival is a little bigger than last year, last year we only had 60 to 70 vendors,” Powell said.

In addition to the craft fair and product sales, the Peach Blossom Festival will be hosting a “food fest” where each organization selling food is raising money to go to specific causes.

“Girl Scout troop 11714 is selling walking tacos, the tacos that are served in the Frito bags. The Minnechaug Ultimate Party fundraiser group is selling hot dogs; every venue is a fundraiser. We have 47 non-profit groups that are all different that are supporting different causes,” she said.

Aside from walking tacos and hot dogs, hamburgers are being sold by the Wilbraham Rotary Club, baked potatoes to fundraiser for the Wilbraham Girl Scout Troop 12945, peach shakes to benefit the Wilbraham Junior Women’s Club, snow cones to benefit the Minnechaug Student Government, peach sundaes for the YMCA Early Childhood Center, cotton candy for the Wilbraham Mom’s Club and popcorn for Wilbraham Girl Scout Troop 64587.

Throughout the event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Powell explained a game called “cake walk” which she likened to musical chairs. All around the festival there will be squares on the ground, and when it’s announced, if someone is standing on a square with the number that is announced, that person will receive a “cake.” Earlier in the day, Powell notes, the “cakes” will be smaller, such as a rice crispy treat, and by the end of the day one lucky resident will win a beautiful, professionally decorated cake.

Iron Duke Brewery will be selling beer at the Peach Blossom Festival from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. For those who have trouble navigating the grass, the Festival is introducing the Conversation Tent this year, which will feature different speakers each hour. Powell said there will be a beekeeper to talk about bees, local government officials who will discuss town happenings and Helene Pickett will be on-site to discuss the former Peach Festival in town, as she ran the event for years.

The Blue Ribbon tent will be host to baked items, canning, brewing/fermenting, art and photography, collections, handwork, sewing, horticulture, agriculture, handcrafts and woodworking, livestock, inventions which will all compete against one another for first, second or third places. Items that are being entered should go to the Blue Ribbon tent between 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Submission forms can be mailed in advance to blueribbon@peachblossomfestival.org.

Artwork from fifth graders at Soule Road School will be on display, the History barn will have hands-on learning experiences, and Mr. Peach will be back at this years Festival.

On the night of June 15 Powell said, there will be a Pre-Game party with the theme “beach barbeque” that will benefit Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The pre-game party will take place from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Spec Pond beach. Bubs BBQ will be serving food, Iron Duke Beer will be available, there will be a cornhole tournament, a raffle and live music by The Avenue. Tickets for the pre-game party are $35, and can be purchased at www.peachblossomfestival.org/pre-game-party.

Powell is extremely appreciative of her team: Emilie Hisgen, Carolee McGrath, Carly Ludbrook, Kristyn Sheehan, Eileen Appleby, Alissa Dussany, Nicole Kretchmar and Arline Duffiore. Each member of the Board of Directors, or as Powell affectionately refers to as “The Peaches,” took on a part of the Festival’s activities.

There are 25 community groups that are sponsoring the day’s events. Though the event admission is free, there is a $5 donation for parking.

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