Clayton, NJ — "There's nothing like a Jersey-Fresh peach," says John Hurff of Wm. Schober & Sons Orchard in Monroeville, as he offers peach tastings at the Collingswood Farmers Market. Customers must agree, as he has to put on extra help on the day of the Collingswood "Peach Party," this year on August 3rd.
Since the New Jersey Peach Promotion Council inaugurated Peach Parties four years ago, these popular peach events have grown from 18 to this year's 35 at farmers markets, restaurants and orchards. Markets are very creative, holding peach events, with tastings, peach pies and pastries, children's stories and games, drawings for baskets of peaches, peach face-painting, peach-pie contests, special pricing, and more. Hammonton Farmers Market is bringing back past Peach Queens from the 40s-60s to meet the 2013 Peach Queen, who will be crowned at the Gloucester County 4-H Fair Peach Festival on July 27th.
Chatham Borough crowns its own peach queens, this year one young child and a high-school candidate; Terhune Orchards offers a workshop on canning and freezing peaches. Alstede Farms Peach Festival features pick-your-own peaches, homemade peach ice cream, slushies, pies, and other peach desserts, and a Sunday peach breakfast. Collingswood Farmers Market holds a peach cooking demonstration and kick-off to its 3-night restaurant promotion of peach menus. West Windsor holds a "little chefs" cooking lesson.
Starting in mid-July, Peach Parties and other special peach events across New Jersey, from south to north, east to west are listed by date and by county. Nine markets are designated as judging sites for the Peach Promotion Council's Perfect Peach Pie contest. For details and registration, check the website, jerseypeaches.com; or write out your name, address, phone #, email and recipe and send it to the address on the calendar listing; or bring it to the designated judging site of your choice.
2013 New Jersey 'Peach Parties' & Other Events Celebrating Jersey Peaches
|
COUNTY |
DATE |
MARKET |
COMMENTS |
|
Bergen County |
Sundays July |
Fort Lee Farmers Market Peach Festival 1355 Inwood Terrace,Fort Lee |
Kids activities, peach and peach-product tastings, recipe & handling brochures, & more |
|
Atlantic County |
July 18 Thurs |
Margate Farmers Market Peach Party…Peach Pie contest judging site 9700 Amherst Ave (Steve & Cookies by the Bay) |
Peach Pie contest judging Peach Queen appearance (tentative) kids quiz & other activities, peach tastings & ratings, recipe & handling brochures |
|
Mercer County |
July 20 |
West Windsor Farmers Market Peach Party Southbound Vaughn Drive parking lot, Princeton Junction train station off of Alexander Rd. |
NJ Peach Queen, "little chefs" cooking demonstration, entertainment by American Century, recipe & handling brochures, and more |
|
Hudson County |
July 21 |
Riverview Farmers Market, Jersey City Heights Peach Day…Peach Pie contest judging site Riverview-Fisk Park, Ogden Ave (Griffith & Bowers) |
Perfect Peach Pie contest judging by Mory Thomas, director of Culinary Development at the Food Network peachy event with live music and kids programs |
|
Somerset County |
July 23-28 |
Gladstone Tavern, Gladstone Jersey Peach Week
273 Main St Gladstone |
Menu offers Jersey peaches in all dishes, from appetizer and soup to main course, salad and dessert. Peaches are from Melick’s Farm, Oldwick Reservations recommended, 908-234-9055 or via website |
|
Gloucester County |
July 25-28 |
Mullica Hill, Gloucester Co 4-H Fair NJ Peach Festival, Peach Pie contest judging site 275 Bridgeton Pike (Rte 77 S), Mullica Hill |
Peach Pie judging by Chef Jim Malaby, blueplate restaurant, July 26 Growers' competition for the "Best Peaches" July 26-Crowning of "Peach Queens," in 5 competition categories in ages 5-18 |
|
Camden County |
July 27 |
Haddonfield Farmers Market Peach Party 230 W. Redman Ave, Haddonfield |
Live music, children's activities & of course peaches!!!..and more |
|
Somerset County |
July 27 |
Montgomery Farmers Market Peach Party Village Shopper Parking Lot, 1340 Rt. 206 |
"Pin the Stem on the Peach" game, other kids' games, stories, tastings & more |
|
Hopewell, Mercer County |
late July-August Wed, Thurs, Fri |
The Brothers Moon Restaurant, Peach Time at The Brothers Moon 7 W. Broad St., Hopewell |
Chef Will is passionate about the beauty and taste of Jersey Peaches celebrates them with 3 & 4-course menus priced from $33-$47, featuring a variety of appetizers, soups, main courses, salads and desserts—all with peaches. Recipes will be available, by emailing chefwill@brothersmoon.com Reservations recommended 609-333-1330 or via website |
|
Somerset County |
Aug 2, 3, 4 |
Grain House Restaurant, Basking Ridge Peach Menus 225 Route 202, Basking Ridge |
Prix-fixe 3-course peach menu @ $ Menu of peach dishes. Reservations recommended 908-696 2335 or via website |
|
Camden County |
August 3 |
Collingswood Farmers Market "Just Peachy" Party, Peach Pie contest judging site Between Collings & Irvin Aves. Along Patco |
Peach Pie judging by Chef Mark Smith, Tortilla Press peach tastings & giveaways by Schober Orchards,, cooking demonstrations, kick-off for "Just Peachy" restaurant promotions the following week. |
|
Morris County |
August 3 |
Chatham Borough Farmers Market Peach Party Chatham Train Station, Chatham |
Melick Farms peach tastings, Peach Princess and Peach Queen crowned, peach costume character, peach cooking demos |
|
Hunterdon County |
August 3 |
Community Presbyterian Church, Chester Peach Festival & Country Auction 220 Main St, Chester |
Peach pies, peach kuchens, peach cobbler, homemade peach ice cream, more peach homemade goodies, jams, jellies, and relishes . Country Auction begins @ 10 am. Call 908-879-5091 for further information. |
|
Warren County |
August 3 |
Tree-Licious Orchards, Port Murray Peach Party, Farm-to-Table Dinner 135 Karrville Road, Port Murray |
Farm-to-Table Peach dinner, pick-your-own peaches, children's activities, music, Carol's peach cobbler for dessert. |
|
Mercer County |
August 3-4 |
Terhune Orchards, Princeton "Everything Peach" Festival & canning workshop Peach Pie contest judging site Aug 4 330 Cold Soil Rd, Princeton Twp
|
Aug 4- Peach Pie contest judging by area chef Aug 3, 10 AM–Workshop by Pam Mount on canning and preserving peaches. Children's games, music and lots of tasty peach treats – muffins, pie, tea, ice cream. In the farm store, try our peach salsa, peach cobbler! Adults head to the tasting room for our award winning Just Peachy wine and summer peach sangria. |
|
Morris County |
August 3-4 |
Alstede Farms, Chester Peach Festival 84 Route 513 (Old Route 24), Chester GPS Address: 1 Chesterfield Dr, Chester, NJ 07930 |
Pick Your Own Peaches, our own Homemade Peach Ice Cream, Peach Slushies, Peach Pies and other Peach desserts and a Peach Breakfast Sunday morning 8 to 12:30. |
|
Essex County |
August 4 |
Nutley Farmers Market Peach Party |
tastings, give-aways, entertainment, recipe & handling brochures, and more |
|
Camden County |
August 6-8 |
Collingswood Area Restaurants Just Peachy 3-course all-peach menus |
Tortilla Press, Blue Plate, El Sitio, Collingswood Blackbird/West Side Gravy. Reservations recommended. via website |
|
Gloucester County |
August 6- 10 |
bluplate Restaurant & Holtzhauser Orchards Peach Week Celebrating Peaches 7 S Main St Mullica Hill |
3-course meal featuring Holtzhauser peaches @$25.00. Learn many uses of Jersey peaches, from the trees to the stove. reservations recommended 856-478-2112 or via website |
|
Middlesex County |
August 7 |
Woodbridge Farmers Market Peach Party, Peach Pie contest judging site 1 Main St, Woodbridge |
Peach Pie contest judging by area chef Kids activities, tastings, tie-in with local restaurant |
|
Morris County |
August 10 |
Boonton Farmers Market, Boonton Peach Festival |
Peach samplings, kids' activities, recipe & handling brochures, used book sale, special give-aways.
|
|
Middlesex County |
August 10 |
Jamesburg Farmers Market Peach Party Veterans' Park, Jamesburg |
Kids activities, peach and peach-product tastings, much more |
|
Essex County |
August 10 |
Montclair Farmers Market Peach Party Walnut Street Train Station parking lot |
tastings; kids quiz, games, recipe & handling brochures, |
|
Bergen County |
August 11 |
Ramsey Farmers Market Peach Festival, Peach Pie contest judging site Erie Plaza Train Station |
Peach Pie contest judging by Chef Michael Volpe. Everything "peachy," fresh peaches, peach pies, jams, lemonades, ice teas, artisanal peach ice pops, and more |
|
Hunterdon County |
August 11 |
Hunterdon Land Trust Farmers Market, Trenton Peach Party, Peach Pie contest judging site Dvoor Farm Rt 12 Circle, Flemington www. hunterdonlandtrust.org/farmers-market |
Peach Pie judging by Chef/owner Leslie McEachem, Angelica Kitchen, NYC Peach pies and other goodies, hand crafts in a country-fair atmosphere. |
|
Essex County |
August 12 |
Maplewood Farmers Market Peach Party 160 Indiana St, Maplewood |
"Peachy" activities, tastings, recipe & handling brochures, and more |
|
Camden County |
August 14 |
Westmont Farmers Market Peach Party, Peach Pie contest judging site 43 Haddon Ave, Haddon Township |
Peach Pie judging by area chef Peach Glitter Tattoos, Peach Face Painting, Bobbing for peaches, Peach cooking contest , Guess how many peaches in the bushel to win the bushel, Peachey Free Balloons |
|
Burlington County |
August 17 |
Burlington Farmers Market, Moorestown Peach Party 500 Centerton Rd, Moorestown |
Plenty of peaches, recipe & handling brochures, and more |
|
Atlantic County |
August 17 |
Hammonton Downtown Market Peach Party 209 Vine St parking Lot (across from Eagle Theatre) |
2013 Peach Queen will meet her court—past Hammonton Peach Queens! Peach Recipe contest, tastings, music, giveaways sponsored by Pastore Orchards |
|
Mercer County |
August 17 |
Trenton Farmers Market, Lawrence Twp Peach Day 960 Spruce Street,Lawrence Twp. /www.thetrentonfarmersmarket.com |
Peach tastings, giveaways & drawings, Peach Queen (tentative), music, much more. |
|
Somerset County |
mid-August |
Grain House Restaurant, Basking Ridge Peach Menus 225 Route 202, Basking Ridge |
Menu of peach dishes. Reservations recommended 908-696 2335 or via website |
For further information, email the New Jersey Peach Promotion Council information office, info@jerseypeaches.com; or visit the website www.jerseypeaches.com and find jersey peaches on facebook www.facebook.com/newjerseypeaches. Follow us on Twitter NJ_Peaches.
The New Jersey Peach Promotional Council is a non-profit voluntary organization of growers, shippers, wholesalers and associated industries dedicated to maintaining a viable peach industry in the Garden State for the purpose of preserving farmers and farmland; and providing the highest quality and best tasting fresh peaches for consumers. New Jersey is the fourth largest peach producing state in the country.
Source: New Jersey Peach Promotional Council