Did you know South Carolina produces more peaches than Georgia and is the nation’s second-largest producer of peaches behind California? In addition, the largest peach grower on the East Coast is Titan Farms, right here in Edgefield, SC, with 6,200+ acres of peaches in production! With 60 percent of South Carolina’s peaches grown in the Old 96 District — encompassing Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens, and McCormick counties — it’s no wonder that we’re excited about peach season and all the delicious and fresh peachy treats available during the early summer months.
Celebrate the peach in the Old 96 District this summer! Here are some peachy events and spots you won’t want to miss.
Visit the Johnston Peach Blossom Festival
This year’s annual celebration will be held on May 6 in Johnston, SC, the Peach Capital of the World. The festival features a parade, arts and crafts, food vendors, live music and children’s rides and games.
Visit the Ridge Peach Festival
Running the third weekend of June for over 50 years in Trenton, SC, this June 17 festival celebrates heritage and peaches in a nostalgic way that will make you feel like you came back home. Watch the morning parade and then browse through booths with arts and crafts, antiques, fresh peaches, peach ice cream, desserts and preserves.
Stop By a Farmer’s Market
Just-picked peaches, berries, vegetables and other goodies are waiting for you. Start with Jackie’s Market and Cook’s Roadside Market. Stop at Titan Farm’s roadside stand and Sara’s Fresh Market in Trenton for homemade peach ice cream. Order a Titan Farms’ Carolina Beauty Peach Giftbox – 13 gorgeous peaches – for a friend or family member. A farmer’s market visit is the perfect celebration of peaches in the Old 96 District!
Sip Tiger Creek Peach Wine At Three Star Vineyard And Orchard
Order a sweet, dry or wine slushy flight or purchase wine by the glass at this Johnston, SC, vineyard. Listen to live music from 1-3 p.m. on Saturdays from March through October. Come for Food Truck Friday Night and live music on the last Friday of the month.
Tour Carolina Moon Distillery
Find out how this downtown Edgefield distillery makes its moonshine with a free tour and tasting, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. The peach-flavored moonshine, rum and whiskey are made with peaches from J.W. Yonce & Sons, Inc. Big Smile Peaches in Johnston.
And finally, surprise your friends and family with 10 Peachy Fun Facts you may not know!
- All peaches are native to China, where the only wild peaches still grow today.
- Documentation of the first cultivated peach was recorded by the Chinese in the 10th century.
- The peach is closely related to almonds, cherries, and plums.
- A peach tree can grow from 13 to 33 feet in height.
- Flowers appear on the tree before leaves. They consist of 5 pink petals.
- Peaches are a rich source of vitamin C, A, and E.
- First fruit will appear on the peach tree after 3 years. The plant will usually live around 12 years.
- All varieties of peaches can be divided into two groups: clingstone and freestone peaches.
- It was early American Indian tribes who spread the peach tree across our country, planting seeds as they traveled.
- Peaches have been an important commercial crop in South Carolina since the mid-1800s, around the introduction of the railroad.
Feelin’ Peachy? Visit our website for more markets, fruit stands, sips and samples, recipes, and more ideas on how to enjoy our fresh, delicious local peaches on your next trip to South Carolina’s Old 96 District!
