Kiwanis Peach Festival plans moving along
Cheerleading, Taste-off and parade participants still sought

by Terry Duffy
Lewiston Porter Sentinel, August 9, 2008

Planning is starting to come together nicely for the 51st annual Niagara County (Lewiston Kiwanis) Peach Festival, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 5, 6 and 7, on the grounds of Academy Park in the Village of Lewiston.

At this point, club officials are in the midst of fine-tuning a number of areas, from upcoming Peach Queen contestant getting acquainted sessions – including the Peach Queen dinner, Wednesday, Aug. 13 -- to organizing actual festival events, including the 17th annual Cheerleading Contest, the annual Peach Festival Taste-off, both on Friday evening, Sept. 5, and the annual parade on Center Street, Saturday morning, Sept. 6.

Leading off, Jeanette Collesano, who has been busy working with this year’s Peach Queen contestants, reports the community is invited to meet and greet the young women who will be vying for this year’s title, at a formal affair this Wednesday at the Niagara Falls Country Club, 505 Mountain View Drive, Lewiston, beginning with 6:30 p.m. hors d’oeuvres, followed by a dinner at 7:30 p.m. Friends, family and interested residents are invited to stop by. A cash bar will be offered and reservations are required. For additional information, contact Collesano at 754-7898.

Festival organizer Jerry Wolfgang notes the community is still being invited to be a part of three major happenings taking place on Friday evening, Sept. 5, and Saturday morning, Sept. 6. Interested groups from Erie and Niagara counties are invited to participate in the annual Cheerleading Contest that will be taking place that Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. in the DiMino’s band shell at Academy Park. Sponsored by DiMino’s Lewiston Tops, cheerleading squads representing area youth football teams, community, town and all-star teams and high school JV and varsity teams are still being sought. And again, it’s open to cheerleading organizations from both counties. For details, contact Wolfgang at 821-7185 or 754-7745.

Another festival activity likewise seeking community participation is the annual Peach Recipe Contest Taste-off, set to take place Friday evening at 6 p.m. in the peach shortcake tent on the Academy Park grounds. Area residents are invited to participate in this competition by sending in their original peach recipe – be it cakes, pies or desserts. Entries should be sent to: Peach Festival Taste-Off, 310 Niagara St., Niagara Falls, NY 14303. Deadline for submitted recipes is Wednesday, Aug. 20.

Wolfgang reports that five area residents will be chairing a panel to evaluate the entries. Taste-Off judges include: Lynn Catalano, executive director of the Mount St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation; Lewiston homemaker Vicki DeVantier; Mark Mistriner, pastry professor at Niagara County Community College; James Klyczek, president of NCCC; and Tom George, owner of the Villa Coffee Shop in Lewiston.

The Taste-off will feature 10 finalists selected from all the entered recipes. Judges will be evaluating the top 10 entries and the overall Taste-off winner will receive a $100 U.S. Savings Bond; prizes will be awarded to the other contestants, and all 10 finalists will be exhibiting their desserts at the peach shortcake tent. For details, contact Wolfgang at either of the above telephone numbers.

Lastly, units from the two-county area still are being sought to be part of the annual Peach Festival Parade, which takes place Saturday morning on Center Street in Lewiston, beginning at 11 a.m.

Wolfgang reports this year’s parade, to be sponsored by Blue Cross/Blue Shield, is expected to feature more than 100 units, including marching bands, majorettes, floats, police units, fire companies, cheerleaders, football squads, color guards, precision drill teams, local politicians and candidates, this year’s Peach Queen contestants, and the reigning Peach Queen, Peach Fuzz and Peach Blossom.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the outstanding school bands, senior bands, majorette troops, fire companies, floats, drill teams and color guards. Again, interested parade units from both counties are welcome to inquire. For more information, contact Wolfgang.