One of the great pleasures of autumn is going to all the local produce fairs, not just for their fruits and vegetables, but for the artisans and entrepreneurs who come out to sell their wares.
The annual Peach Festival in Winona, Ontario, is a great day excursion for the entire family and runs over three days on the last weekend of August when all those lovely peaches are coming in.
Peaches of Winona
Winona is a township a bit east of Hamilton, Ontario, between Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment, about one hour drive from Toronto. It sits perfectly in a micro-climate conducive to growing fruit trees. The Ontario Wine Trail also travels this route with a string of wineries all the way down south into the U.S.A.
Winona Peach Festival Website
You will find pretty much everything at Winona's fair, including plenty of food tents that offer everything from Croatian fare, local BBQ, fresh buttered corn, home made peach pies, and peach desserts.
Rotary Club of Stoney Creek
There are always awesome finds. 2015 I discovered an artisan handmade goat milk soap by
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Our Natural Creations
This is the most luxurious handmade soap I've ever had, with a creamy rich lather. It is incredibly moisturizing. A 4.0 oz. to 5.0 oz. bar is $6.00.
OurNaturalCreations Soap
offered Haitian steel drum arts. If you Google this, you will find amazing, intricately made steel decor items for your home. Also, check out
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Haitian Steel Drum Crafts
The Winona fair also features a retro car competition, with vintage vehicles in the best condition. You are encouraged to vote for your favourite.
Peach Festival Car Competition
You will find unique gifts for everyone. Here's a neat wine caddy or storage in an unusual shape with map motifs.
Unique Wine Caddy
An evening concert at the bandstand.
One thing everyone should be aware of is there is no on-site parking. For a fair this size, this is quite an oversight by organizers. Local residents however, make use of this to earn a few extra dollars and rent out their front lawns and driveways. Even the local churches rent out their parking lots. You will find parking between $5.00 and $10.00 depending on how close you are to the fair. If parking has run out, you can always park at Puddicombe Farms, just up Highway 8, and they run regular school buses to the fairgrounds for $5.00 per person every 12 minutes.
General Hours:Friday 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am to 11:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
On Twitter:
@WinonaPeachFest
Let's not forget the food! This delicious crepe is filled with vanilla ice cream, and topped with fresh peaches and cream for $5.00.
Ice Cream Crepe with Peaches
