The First Peach Festival -- 1931

The Romeo Peach Festival was started in 1931 and is the second longest running festival in Michigan. The idea for the festival came from local orchard growers interested in promoting their harvests and encouraging further economic growth in the village of Romeo. Labor Day weekend was chosen to align with the peach harvest, and the festival has been running continuously since 1931 except for the war years of 1942-1945.
Each year a Peach Queen was chosen from eleven contestants; two each from Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair, Lapeer, and Genessee counties, along with a Romeo contestant. Miss Romeo pageants were held from 1931 to 1973, and the selected contestant was an ambassador of the festival as well as a representative in the Peach Queen contest. 



1931 Peach Queen, Virginia Allor



Check back each week in August for more Peach Festival posts featuring photos and downloads that highlight the history of this unique hometown celebration.