Peaches, ice cream and much, much more at festival at Oley Fire Company

When Kevin Bieber first came up with the idea, he pictured something simple.

He and a bunch of his neighbors in the Oley area were plucking peaches off their trees when it occurred to him that there were plenty more than he could use for his own, personal use. He thought that maybe the rest could somehow be put to good use.

“I thought, ‘Maybe we can turn them into a fundraiser for the fire company,'” he said. “And, low and behold, it’s still going on 20 years later and is a big fundraiser for the fire company.”

The first Oley Fire Company Fire and Peach Festival was, like Bieber originally envision, a small affair. But over the last two decades it has grown and grown. And when it opens it doors Aug. 10 at noon it will feature over 2,000 pounds of peaches and welcome 3,000 to 4,000 guests to the Oley Fairgrounds.

“It has become an iconic event in Oley,” Bieber said proudly.

The growth of the festival includes more than just the quantity of peaches and number of visitors. It also includes a wide expansion of what those visitors can expect to find there.

The food choices now include hotdogs, hamburgers, french fries, chicken sandwiches, soup and even a clam bake.

“We have a wide variety of food that we serve,” Bieber said.

And the festival also has a cornucopia of entertainment options.

The New Individuals will serve as the main musical attraction, performing from 6 to 9 p.m. The Oley Alumni Band will play from 1 to 2 p.m.

Other attractions include a car cruise, cornhole and quoits tournaments, a tractor pull, a Chinese auction and a peach dessert baking contest.

Bieber said the day is filled with fun and is something that he is incredibly proud to be a part of.

“Considering it’s something I started, obviously it puts a smile on my face to know the kind of money we can raise for the fire company and to see how happy the people who come out are,” he said. “It brings the community together.”