Peach cobbler proved to be the breakfast of choice for many early arrivals at Carlson Orchards’ 16th Annual Peach Festival held Aug. 17 and 18. Trays of the sweet stuff were disappearing soon after the 10 a.m. opening as visitors made way for a day of family, friends, food, and all things peach.
Carlson peaches, ripe for picking. (Photo by Richard Jenson)
“This is the kick-off for the whole season, right to the apples,” said employee Amy Craite from behind the checkout counter last Sunday. She estimated the number of visitors to be more than 200 on the first day of the festival and said the steady flow of customers made her shift fly by. “Yesterday it was so busy I didn’t look up from the register,” she said.
That trend appeared to continue on Sunday. Lines inside Carlson’s retail store were long and the hay rides out to the orchard were full; customers came out wearing sunblock and sun hats, ready to pick peaches and have some fun.
Two such customers were Xiu Liu of Acton and her friend Xin Mao, who was visiting from China. Both women left Carlson’s with trays full of pick-your-own White Lady (white-fleshed freestone) and New Haven (yellow-fleshed freestone) peaches. “I like to be here,” said Liu, who said she tries to come to the festival every year. Liu made sure to pick plenty of New Haven peaches to use in a much-anticipated preserves recipe promised to her by Mao.
Inside the tasting tent employee Allan Kusch busied himself serving up samples of Carlson’s regular sweet cider and Oak Hill Blend and Shandy Stand hard ciders. Kusch said the recently built taproom will be open for business in about four weeks. Fermentation of new styles of hard cider will begin next week and “we’ll see what will be ready for the public,” he said.
Phyllis Wampler and her daughters, 2-year-old Callie and 5-year-old Phyllis, emerged from the orchard with their harvest in tow. Wampler said her family visits Carlson’s several times throughout the year and always makes it to the peach festival. “The music is so good, the food is so good, and the people are wonderful,” she said. The next stop for the family was the Harvard Lions tent where cheeseburgers, lemonade, and other cookout staples were for sale.
Like the Wamplers, many festival-goers took a break from the heat and enjoyed lunch in the shade under the tent while listening to bluegrass tunes courtesy of Contra Banditos. If the cobbler didn’t satisfy one’s sweet tooth, Uhlman’s ice cream truck was on standby, selling its seasonal peach ice cream among other select flavors.
For those who missed this year’s festival, check out Carlson Orchards’ Facebook page. Katie Carlson-Hardy, the retail store manager, said she updates the page daily to let folks know which fruit varieties are available for picking and about other offerings at the store.
Brooklynne Mitchel-Arno serves up peach cobbler at Carlson Orchard’s Peach Festival. (Photo by Patty Mahoney)
Bolton’s Eleanor Ma is joyful with peaches she just harvested. (Photo by Richard Jenson)
Xin Mao of China and her friend Xiu Liu of Acton take their harvest home. (Photo by Patty Mahoney)
Stephan Levin of Acton buys peaches for his mom’s peach-rosemary jam. Carlson employee Meghan Racie tallies the cost. (Photo by Richard Jenson)
