Oley Fire Company Peach Festival offers sweet treats and more

What could taste better on a warm summer day than gooey peach cobbler smothered in slowly-melting vanilla ice cream and diced peaches?

Well, maybe a fluffy-crisp waffle topped with peaches and ice cream or peach-crumb pie with or without the toppings.

Or wait. What about just plain-old vanilla ice cream with peaches?

These yummy desserts and more were eagerly scarfed down Saturday at the Oley Fire Company’s 20th peach festival.

The event at the volunteer company’s fairgrounds, 26 Jefferson St., drew more than 2,000 for the food and activities, which included cornhole and quoit tournaments, garden tractor pulls, a display of antique hit-or-miss engines, a classic car cruise and live music.

For Jean Davis it was all about the seasonal fruit.

“I just came for the peaches,” she said.

Davis, 71 of Blandon opted for a dish of peach cobbler with the works.

“I’ll sweat it off later,” she said, laughing.

Her boyfriend, Fran Antosy, was not as interested in the peach treats, she said, and was more intent on showing off his 1965 white Mercury Comet Cyclone.

Antosy’s car was one of those showcased in a cruise featuring classic and antique cars.

The many muscle cars on display were a reminder of the 1960s and ‘70s when American-made sports coupes with powerful engines ruled the road. The display took seniors, like Harold Hoch of Oley Township, back to their teen years.

A long-time volunteer, Hoch coordinated the car cruise.

The one-day festival has grown since its founding in 2003, he said.

Hundreds of volunteers helped organize and run the event, which is a major fundraiser for the fire company.

The proceeds are reinvested in the fairgrounds and used to supplement the volunteer organization’s general fund.

Preparations started last week when a group of volunteers gathered to pick peaches at a local orchard.

The cooking and baking followed, beginning Monday with waffle pressing.

Volunteers turned out 750 of the golden-brown delicacies that day, said Paul Noll.

Noll of Fleetwood, a 1965 Oley Valley High School graduate, started volunteering for fire company events as a teenager.

The peach peeling and slicing began Tuesday and wasn’t completely finished until late Thursday, just in time to start baking the pies, he said.

Festival attendees walked off the hot foods and cold treats on their rounds of the displays and contests.

They grouped under shade trees to watch the tournaments, but there was little escape from the sun for the those who gathered in back field for the Berks County Puller Association’s event.

After a day of activities in the sun, some went back to the food stands for another round.

The delicious offerings also included peach jam, jelly and marmalade and a host of peach-less fair staples, such as pulled pork barbecue, hamburgers, clam bakes and French fries.