Peach Festival set at Milton Farmers Market July 22

Peach aficionados, rejoice. The annual Peach Festival will return to the Milton Farmers Market from 3 to 6 p.m., Friday, July 22, in the parking lot at Dogfish Head Craft Brewery off Chestnut Street. The market will serve up an abundance of peach-flavored and peach-themed offerings to celebrate the season's favorite fuzzy-skinned fruit.

The word peach refers not only to the fruit of the prunus persica, but also to a person or thing that is especially attractive, liked or enjoyed. The adjective peachy means wonderful, splendid, dandy, excellent, praiseworthy, etc. Aromatic and beautiful displays start at the T.S. Smith and Sons tent, where just-picked peach selections range from sweet whites to juicy yellow varieties locally grown on their farm. Shoppers may enjoy a peach in hand from their bagfuls as they visit the many market vendors who have incorporated the delectable fruit in their special offerings.

Under Nana's Bakery tent, visitors will choose from just-baked peach pies, peach muffins, peach pound cake and peach cobbler. Vendor La Bella adds to the bakery selections with homestyle peach pecan muffins and mini-personal peach pies. Also, La Bella offers peach honey butter and bourbon peach jam.

Old World Breads will expand their all-natural selections of breads and rolls baked in the old-world tradition with special peach and almond croissants, whole wheat peach pastry tarts and peach pies. Pasqualini's as well will stock their tables with fresh-from-the-oven peach coffee cakes, peach upside-down cakes, peach pies and a few yet-undisclosed peachy surprises. And Lavender Fields Farm will set out mouthwatering lavender peach scones fresh from the farm's new commercial kitchen.

Rehoboth Dairy will tempt passersby with just-churned peach ice cream served in a dish or cone, also available in packed containers to go. Blotto Gelato will scoop up Fuzzy Rum Bomb gelato (an icy blend of peaches, white rum and spiced rum), and a Fuzzy Tongue icy treat made with peaches and peach ambrosia wine.

Peach-flavored products also have a place on the main course table. Stag Run Farm has bottled their Peach Vidalia hot sauce, and recommends it on several main dishes, including the wild-caught cod available at the Alaskawild tent. And, Chinky's Oysters will offer Stag Run's hot sauce on their just-shucked oysters.

Every annual Peach Festival at the Milton Farmers Market features Dogfish Head's Festina Peche ale on tap, flavored with peaches, of course. And Abbott's Grill has peach barbecue chicken on the grill along with sizzling hot dogs topped with peach salsa and peach lemonade to accompany both. And over at Beachy Bean's tent, market patrons can order a peach-infused iced coffee to pair nicely with Beachy Bean's peach turnovers brought to this week's market.

Heatherscents will add to its luxury line of handmade scented soaps and bath products this week with a citrus peach soap, and a new citrus peach sugar exfoliating scrub.

There's always a vast selection of peach jams and jellies at the Backyard Jams and Jellies tent, including their Delaware State Fair first-place winner peach jam, plus peach hot pepper jelly, blueberry peach jam and more, with most flavors available in no-sugar-added varieties.

This week's live music comes from the popular market band Charlie and the Cool Tones, featuring Charlie Smith from the T.S. Smith and Sons’ Farm produce tent. Shoppers are encouraged to bring a beverage or snack from their favorite vendor and settle in to the tunes at the picnic tables provided for market patrons.