LEWISTON, N.Y. — ​Whether you prefer them in a pie or on their own, it’s safe to say peaches are popular in Western New York. And the crowd goes wild for them at the annual Niagara County Peach Festival in Lewiston that begins Thursday.

When the festival rolls around, it’s an event that people from all over Western New York come to enjoy.

And the thing they come most for is the peach shortcake. Only fresh peaches grown in Niagara County are used, which come from Bittner-Singer Farms in Appleton. This year, the festival expects to serve more than seven tons of peaches in the shortcake. 

There will actually be 27 food vendors at the festival, and it’s not just peach-themed food. There will be a variety of American and ethnic options.

Everything starts at 5 p.m. Thursday, and lasts until 10 pm.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, there are even more thing to check out, including the annual Peach Parade on Saturday evening.

The Peach Queen Fashion Show Competition will also take place Saturday evening and eventually, the crowning of this year’s Peach Queen.

Visit http://www.lewistonpeachfestival.org for more information.