From lemonade and cookies to peach pies and cobblers, the 25th annual Lafayette Peach Festival provided something for all fans of the Palisade produce.

On Saturday, South Public Road in downtown Lafayette was filled with vendor booths, food trucks and three peach growers from Palisade. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., festival guests bought peaches by the bag and by the box. The Lafayette Chamber, which hosts the event, had staffers arrive around 5 a.m. to set up barricades and get vendors settled. On top of fresh peaches, guests could buy pottery, jewelry, paintings and other artwork from artisans.

Some vendors came from Wyoming to participate , said Ryan Lindsay, communication and marketing manager for the Lafayette Chamber.

“And then we’ve got families that come from Wyoming and Nebraska, as well, for peaches,” Lindsay said.

Lindsay said the Lafayette Chamber’s decision to expand the festival to six blocks this year helped disperse the crowd, which reached 35,000 attendees in 2023.

“We’re a community with a population of about 31,000,” Lindsay said of Lafayette. “I’m a Lafayette local, myself. I think it’s great that the community has kind of a larger-scale event.”Lindsay said the size of the festival introduces visitors to local community organizations.

“It helps bring people into our businesses,” she said. “We know we have a lot of people that stop by the Lafayette History Museum. We’ve got people interacting with law enforcement, the fire department.”

The three Palisade peach growers at the festival were spaced out along South Public Road, giving buyers plenty of room to form long lines. One of the growers, Tate Orchards, sold jams and T-shirts in addition to their organic peaches.

“It’s always astounding the crowd that this draws,” said Lonnie Tate, founder of Tate Orchards. “I have people say, ‘We come to you every year.’”

Tate explained that his peaches are picked ripe and are ready to eat within a day or two. What sets his peaches apart, he explained, is his dedication to watering, picking and packing them himself.

“It’s quality control,” Tate said. “I’m involved in every step of it. We’re small enough that I can do that.”

Morton’s Organic Orchards, another Palisade grower, has been attending the festival for over 20 years. MJ Cruz, a seasonal employee with Morton’s, said he likes seeing so many people wait patiently in line for their peaches.

“It’s a great feeling, knowing that people know that good fruit and good produce comes from that area,” Cruz said.

“Everyone’s so kind and warm.”

Dave Morton, founder of Morton’s Organic Orchards, also helped sell peaches on Saturday.

Anything that wasn’t sold Saturday will get another chance at local farmers markets.

“You guys love our peaches,” Morton said.