‘Peach Days’ celebrates 20 years with new activities, changes to old favorites

Composite image, St. George News

HURRICANE — When the sultry summer days start getting shorter and the nights begin to cool off, most Southern Utahns know the time is ripening for an annual favorite. With a promise of fun and entertainment for all, the 20th annual “Peach Days: A Celebration of our Heritage” in Hurricane will kick off Thursday and run through Saturday.

Inflatables for children on the lawn north of the Fine Arts building during “Peach Days,” Hurricane, Utah, Aug. 31, 2017 | Photo by Reuben Wadsworth, St. George News

The events people have come to expect as traditions of the weekend will still be there this year, including the parade, fun run, canal treks, cook-off and art and produce displays. However, this year will see some changes – such as a shift in the rodeo from Saturday to Friday – plus a few new things to check out, including a new “Small Farm Produce” display and boxing at Heritage Park.

Event organizers say for this 20th year, they are once again excited to welcome old timers and newcomers alike as they meet together on the old town square and celebrate the area’s heritage and the wonderful community.

Read more: ‘Peach Days’ is one big happy Hurricane reunion

Peach Days officially starts Thursday at 5 p.m., with all the displays, food and commercial booths, carnival and games and continuous entertainment. Events wrap up at 10 p.m. but will kick up again on Friday at 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Saturday starts up at 6:15 a.m. with a fun run and canal treks, and Peach Days officially closes that night at 10 p.m. after a fireworks show.

In this 2017 file photo, vendor booths and crowds line Hurricane’s 100 West between its Community Center and Fine Arts Buildings during “Peach Days,” Hurricane, Utah, Aug. 31, 2017 | Photo by Reuben Wadsworth, St. George News

For a full list of events, click here.

A few events of note include an honoring of the Peach Days grand marshals Friday at 6:30 p.m., followed by a showing of “Cars 3” at dusk (about 8:30) in the park.

Also on Friday, the rodeo begins at 7 p.m. at the rodeo grounds on the north end of town by the swimming pool. Besides the regular rodeo fare, kids in the audience can also enter the chicken race and cash cow race. Favorite events include the Mutton Bustin’ and Hide Race. General admission to the rodeo is $3, with kids under 4 getting in free.

Registration for Saturday’s 12K Fun Run starts at 5:30 a.m. at the Community Center. For those looking for something more leisurely, the Historic Hurricane Canal Pioneer Treks will take place at 6:30 a.m. at Heritage Park or 7 a.m. at the Bowery trailhead. And the parade starts soon after at 9 a.m.

This 2016 file photo shows the “Peach Days Parade” in Hurricane, Utah, Sept. 3, 2016 | Photo by Sheldon Demke, St. George News

Following the parade, Peach Days attendees are invited to spend the rest of the day browsing through the displays and quilt show, making a project at the Home Depot Kids Activity or learning about pioneer crafts at Pioneer Corner. There will be continuous entertainment on the lawn of the Community Center and great food, craft and commercial booths all day long. The Peach Cook-off begins at 5 p.m. with tastes available after the judges are finished.

Top off the day with a special concert held in the Fine Arts building featuring the Chamberlain Brothers and special guests starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are $7 and sold at the community center in advance or at the door.

The Peach Days celebration will end with a fireworks display at 9:30 p.m. shot from the Hurricane High School baseball field. Peach Days 2018 will officially close at 10:00 pm.

About Peach Days

Peach Days is patterned after the old Peach Days many longtime residents of Washington County fondly remember. According to a press release from event organizers, Peach Days actually began a long time ago and is an integral part of Hurricane’s history. What began as a Fruit Festival in 1909 would evolve into the Peach Days and eventually the Washington County Fair.

As the countywide celebration outgrew Hurricane, new fair grounds were built at the Washington County Regional Park, and the Washington County Fair was moved to these new facilities.

Hurricane residents missed the small town celebration that had grown so large and moved from the downtown part of their community, and so in 1999 a group was formed and the new Peach Days was born. As you participate in Peach Days, the committee hopes you will feel some nostalgia from the past, relish the heritage of the Hurricane area and make many new memories and traditions for the years to come.

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Twitter: @STGnews

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