In the small town of Stratford, Oklahoma, Stevie White spoke with Little League Foundation President Michelle “Chelli” Schwagel and Jeff Cosby, the owner of Sugar Sand Farms Peach Orchard about the fast-approaching Stratford Peach Festival. The Little League Foundation has been organizing the festival for the past eight years.
This year, the Stratford Peach Festival will be held on Saturday, July 20 at the Stratford City Park. Schwagel said, “It is always held on the third Saturday in July. We start the morning bright and early with the 5K Run in front of Stratford’s schools. People can still walk up and register from 5:30 a.m. to when it starts at 6:30 a.m.”
While the race is going, organizers will be helping set up the tradeshow in the park, and a free Pancake breakfast will be prepared by members of the Compassion Church, available at 7 a.m. on the south end of the park. “Opening ceremonies are at 9 a.m. and that’s really when things start. The vendors will be open and peach sales begin,” Schwagel said.
Additional activities and attractions during the Peach Festival are a Royalty Pageant, local entertainers throughout the day, Food Trucks, a Car Show, a cornhole tournament, axe throwing, bounce houses, a bloodmobile (from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.), and free parking!
Cosby who will have a booth set up in the park and will also sell directly out of his orchard 4.5 miles North of Stratford, says that this year’s peach harvest is right on track. “The peach harvest has been really good. We’ve been picking peaches almost daily for the last three weeks, but we still have a lot left to pick.”
While the Stratford Peach Festival’s scheduled date is centered around the ripening of the Loring peach, there will be many more varieties available. Cosby explained, “The Loring peach is everyone’s favorite, but we’ll also have Red Globes and Majestic, and there are a lot of other varieties that some other orchards raise that will be available around that time also.”
In addition to several varieties of peaches, there will also be a wide range of peach-themed food products available, such as peach ice cream and peach smoothies, which are expected to draw the longest lines. There will also be peach salsa, peach butter, peach turnovers, peach jelly, peach fried pies, peach cupcakes, and peach cookies.
When asked about their favorite products, Cosby readily admitted that his favorite is peach salsa.
Schwagel responded, “The peach jelly is a great one, too. This year, we have a new winery coming to town and they will have peach wine and peach wine slushies. That’s going to be a huge hit this year, too!”
For more information about the Stratford Peach Festival, visit the 2024 Peach Festival, Stratford, OK Facebook page.
