Life’s a peach if you grew up in Candor, North Carolina
There are more peach trees than people
The small town of Candor is a speck on North Carolina’s map, about 35 minutes south of Asheboro, with one stop light, one elementary school, an old barber shop and people as honest as the name implies.
Candor is also home to the legendary Peach Festival, which is held annually on the third Saturday of July. We celebrate peaches because there are more peach trees in Candor than there are people, and we take pride in our fuzzy fruits.
The Peach Festival attracts people from all over the state, and some visitors are even from across the country. What is this magical festival devoted to peaches, you ask? This is what happens from sunrise to sunset on that glorious day.
The Candor Peach Parade
Montgomery County is notorious for organizing parades for just about any reason. The usual line of firetrucks, police cars and walkers handing out candy is standard to any parade, but we have more to offer. No Peach Festival parade is complete without a full fleet of tractors, horses, Boy Scouts, veterans and the customary Peach Queen.
The food
After that long parade, you’ll need something more than roadside candy to satisfy the growl in your tummy. Luckily, we have countless food vendors set up to deliver the best barbecue, lemonade, tacos, hot dogs, peach ice cream, peach dumplings…you get the point, right? One does not simply go to the Peach Festival and not eat peach ice cream.
The peaches
Since you’ve had your fill of deep fried deliciousness, you’ll remember the reason for the season and set out to get your hands on the best peaches money can buy. Johnson’s Farm, Parsons Farm and Kalawei Farms are the largest vendors at the festival, with plenty of variety in between. Arguably, Johnson’s have the best ones, considering they’ve been in business in Candor for 85 years.
The music
Paddle faster…I hear banjos! Nonsense, that’s just the Sand Band playing good homestyle bluegrass. Typically, banjos alone are enough to make me run for the hills, but when they’re alongside a piano, guitars, mandolins and voices with southern accents thicker than the peach preserves you can buy at Johnson’s, they’re soothing.
Candor was really an incredible place to grow up.