115 Years of Peachy Traditions

For residents of Logan, Utah, the first weekend of September means the first home football game for Utah State University. But for residents of Brigham City, this weekend means something different entirely: Peach Days.

Peach Days is an annual festival that takes place in Brigham City to celebrate the beginning of the peach harvest. The town itself is known for its ideal growing conditions and houses hundreds of acres of farmlands, creating an abundance of the fuzzy fruit when autumn comes. The festival lasts for three days and offers an assortment of games and activities for people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy.

The Peach Pageant kicks off the festivities on Thursday night with the crowning of the Peach Days Queen who will oversee the remainder of the events. 

On Friday, the festival really kicks into gear with the public library’s generous book sales, the opening of the carnival, a heated lip sync battle, a community softball tournament and a kickoff parade down Main Street.

The biggest day of the festival, however, is Saturday. It starts off with a 10K, 5K, and 1-mile race around town, which is immediately followed by a massive Peach Days Parade. The custom Harley Davidson motorcycle and car shows are on display throughout the afternoon.

Meanwhile, four blocks of Main Street and the majority of Forest Street in the heart of the town are shut down and turned into a colorful, interactive carnival. A Ferris wheel stands at its center, surrounded by miniature roller coaster rides, a rock climbing wall, bouncy houses, a miniature escape room and face painting stations. 

Tents and tables scattered all around the courthouse and down Forest Street allow artists and artisans to sell and showcase their work. Similarly, local organizations and institutions such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness and Brigham Suicide Prevention set up tables to raise awareness for their causes. Stages are scattered between booths where live music from local performers plays constantly. 

Rows upon rows of street vendors and food trucks sell all sorts of specialties such as gourmet waffles decked out with strawberries, chocolate sauce and powdered sugar; footlong corn dogs drizzled in honey; sodas made to order with all assortments of flavorings; and plenty of Peach dishes: cobbler, donuts and pies, to name a few.

2019 marks the 115th year of this fun-filled tradition and has come to be a part of the town’s identity. Over the past century, Peach Days has grown from a simple acknowledgment of the harvest to a time where people — between 35,000 to 50,000 annually — come together to celebrate the many aspects of the lives and cultures that connect them and make their town beautiful.

While this year’s events are now over, more information about the yearly festival can be found at https://www.boxelderchamber.com/about/peach-days/. 

—dara.lusk@outlook.com