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Preparations are well underway for the second annual Peach Festival at Neal Creek Retreat this July.

The Peach Festival will take place on Saturday, July 19, at Neal Creek Retreat, located at 322 Neal Road in Belvidere.

According to organizer Linda Johnson, upwards of 500 peach lovers from all around turned out for the inaugural festival, despite the torrential downpour.

“It was clear that the crowd’s main objective was taking home some fresh peaches, and we made sure they were not disappointed,” Johnson said. “We sold different varieties by the pound and by the case.”

 This year’s Peach Festival will have about 1,500 pounds of fresh peaches, in addition to homemade peach ice cream.

“We are working hard to tend our peaches as our Yellow Elberta, and White Belle of Georgia peaches grow to maturity,” Johnson said. “This is a year-round labor of love, with 44 peach trees in our orchards.”

The festivities will kick off at 10 a.m. with Bro. Roger Parks from Marble Plains Baptist Church praying over the event, followed by live entertainment from the Final Crossing Gospel Bluegrass band. The Band of Pearls String and Woodwind Ensemble will play after noon. The event will conclude at 4 p.m.

Local vendors will also be onsite, offering a wide variety of foods and crafts, from barbecue, sandwiches, kettle corn, jewelry, custom-made dog merchandise, T-shirts, scented products, ice cream, cakes, pies, candy, jams, and jellies. The event will also feature a talented portrait artist and a chiropractor. Johnson said the festival has also lined up a bounce house and inflatable waterslide for the children.

Neal Creek Retreat can be found on the Pick TN Products website by going to www.picktnproducts.org/picktn-producers/picktn-listing.26431.html.

“Our fruit also carries the Homegrown by Heroes label, as the retreat is co-owned by a Marine Corps veteran,” Johnson said.

For more information and vendor details, please visit our peach festival event page at https://www.facebook.com/share/16Wi1hvcbH/?mibextid=wwXIfr, call 931-588-0136, or email connect@nealcreekretreat.com.