Cobden Peach Festival back for 84th year

COBDEN, Ill. (KBSI) – The peaches were ripe and spirits were high at the 84th Annual Cobden Peach Festival.

The festival provides a family-friendly atmosphere that everyone, including Mayor Zee Tomazzoli, can enjoy.

“I meet new people every year just because I’m the mayor, but I just like talking to people,” he said. “We all have a good time. There are no strangers in Cobden.” 

Along similar lines, Dianna Yates of the Cobden Women’s Club says it is the people that make the festival special.

“I just like visiting with all the people,” she said. “There are a lot of people who come here that are family. You know just about everybody. There are people who come from as far north as Chicago to come here and come to the festival.”  

The peaches from Flamm Orchards, who supplied the peaches for the festival, and Rendleman Orchards are top notch this season.

“I’ve spoken with Mike Flamm. He said he’s got a good crop this year, that everything turned out really great,” Yates said. “They have great peaches, sweet peaches, they’re really good this year.” 

“I’m in touch with the Flamms and the Rendleman’s. They’re having a bumper crop year,” Tomazzoli said. “The peaches are super sweet this year. Everybody needs to come down and get some.” 

But not everything is peachy keen. Roger Gray, who is in charge of one of the concession stands at the festival, said there has been added strain caused by inflation when it comes to supplying food and drinks.

“This year we have noticed a significant increase in our cost from soda, water, ice,” he said. “We’re trying to absorb as much of that as we can. We’ve had to pass some of it along. Food cost is up. We’re trying to do what we can without passing all of it along.”

The festival continues Saturday beginning with a 5K run/walk at 7 a.m.