By Guy Smith
The Lexington County Peach Festival, a beloved Fourth of July tradition, was established by the Gilbert Community Club in 1958. Every year since (with the exception of a brief pause during the COVID pandemic), crowds have flocked to the town of Gilbert to celebrate one of nature’s sweetest gifts: the
peach. Joined in a common purpose, Gilbert residents and visitors also come together on this day to commemorate our nation’s birthday and emphasize the power of a close-knit community.
This year’s festival promises to be especially sweet because the Community Club and local residents overcame a few obstacles to make sure the event would continue to take place. In true Peach Festival fashion, several logistical hurdles were cleared, scores of volunteers stepped forward, and the resounding support on social media was overwhelming. As a result, visitors and residents will continue to uphold this annual tradition and, once again, enjoy delicious food, family fun, live music, arts and crafts, and fireworks. This year’s event promises to be extra special as everyone will also be celebrating our nation’s 250th birthday.
The festival is hosted in the Gilbert Community Park at 110 Rikard Circle, nestled between Gilbert’s elementary and middle schools. This central location is an indication of the event’s overall vibe, as the celebration— and indeed the town of Gilbert—is all about community, tradition, schools, children, and families. Coincidentally, proceeds from the festival are used to maintain and improve the Community Club’s six-acre Gilbert Community Park, support other local civic organizations, and provide financial scholarships to Gilbert’s high school and college students who have volunteered at the festival for multiple years. Even the very reasonable $5 fees to park in designated areas go directly to the student groups and organizations staffing the lots.
On Saturday, July Fourth, the festival will be an all-day affair that commences at 9:00am and lasts until 9:30pm. The annual Peach Parade kicks everything off at 9:30am with the route starting at Hampton Street, moving down Main Street, and ending near Gilbert Middle School. Roads along the route will
close at 9:00am, so visitors are advised to arrive early to park and find a spot along the route, where they can watch floats, bands, peach pageant winners, community groups, and civil servantspass by. Other various festival activities include a car show, craft vendors, food trucks, concessions, carnival rides, live entertainment, and fireworks. Live music will fill the air at the park amphitheater from noon until 9:00pm, and the celebration will wrap up with a dazzling fireworks display at 9:15pm.
Food, especially barbecue and everything peachy, has always been a staple of the gathering. In addition to a variety of food truck vendors, there will be fresh peaches, peach ice cream, peach tea, peach slush, and the festival’s famous peach cobbler. This renowned deep-dish pie is based on a recipe that has been passed down for generations, and it will be prepared, as it has been for years, in the Gilbert Elementary
School cafeteria. Be sure to get yours early before it’s all gone!
Everything about the festival radiates good family fun, and countless locals and visitors have made memories at the festival over the years. Jessica Fallaw, chair of the Gilbert Community Club Board of Directors, shares that the festival has been a part of her life since she was five years old. As a child, she stood alongside her grandmother as a volunteer at the festival and went on to serve in a number of other capacities over the years. These days, she can’t imagine not being involved in some way. Her children are now also following in her and her grandmother’s footsteps by becoming involved as well. She is
one of many Gilbert residents for whom the festival is more than a family tradition—it’s a multi-generational legacy and a source of tremendous community pride.
One of the best stories that I, personally, have heard about the festival came from a co-worker who had moved to South Carolina from Southern California. While sharing why he and his family decided to settle here in Lexington County, he talked about the good weather, economic opportunities, great schools, and kind people. But in addition to all of that, he shared his personal Peach Festival experience. After vacationing with relatives on the South Carolina coast, he and his family decided to drive to the mountains. On the way, they somehow ended up smack-dab in the middle of Gilbert on July Fourth. They were instantly captivated by the festive atmosphere, the patriotism, the parade, the sincere hospitality, and of course, the peach ice cream. It all seemed almost too good to be true! The delightful
experiences they had while visiting our state—and especially the enchanting charm of the Peach Festival—led them to relocate to Lexington County. What an extraordinary testimony to the allure of Gilbert and the power of the peach!
So, like my friend, come on out to the Lexington County Peach Festival on Saturday, July Fourth. Take in everything that the wonderful residents of Gilbert have planned for you, enjoy time with your family, celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, make some new friends, listen to great music, and taste those
delicious peaches. Who knows? You might decide to make the festival an annual tradition, try your hand at baking a peach cobbler, pull out the churn to make some of your own homemade peach ice cream, or even entice others to become an active part of our community! At the very least, you will have spent a day with thousands of other fine folks, eating delicious food and having a good time. It doesn’t get much better than that.
For information on all things peachy, check out the festival website at
LexingtonCountyPeachFestival.com.
