Steve Smith, right, helps Nancy Cleaver package up slices of peach pie at the Shepherdstown Peach Festival on Saturday. Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — The annual Shepherdstown Peach Festival returned to New Street United Methodist Church on Saturday, selling a variety of foods made with peaches picked on the outskirts of Shepherdstown, at Twin Ridge Orchard.

About 13 bushels of peaches were needed to make the 114 peach pies, 15 trays of peach crisp and 37 gallons of peach and vanilla ice cream, according to organizers Margaret Rose Peterson and Nancy Cleaver. Other food sold at the festival included country ham sandwiches, steamers, chicken salad sandwiches, steamer dogs, hotdogs, bottled water and canned soda.

While in almost all categories more food was made this year than in any year previous, Peterson said they found themselves selling out of things they had never sold out of before. Specifically, the country ham sandwiches, hot dogs and steamer meat were so popular that the church members had to make an emergency run to the store for more supplies, to ensure they wouldn’t run short before the end of the festival. As it was, items that had to be made in-advance — the custard ice cream and pies made with homemade crust — were nearly sold out a half hour before the end of the festival, proving the wisdom that many local residents showed in pre-ordering the food that they would want to purchase at the festival, a couple of weeks beforehand.

“Last week, we began peeling peaches on Thursday,” said Carole Feaster, who herself had made all 40 pounds of the chicken salad for the sandwiches at the festival. “We made custard for the ice cream on Friday. And then, on Saturday, they made a big batch of ice cream. Then, at the beginning of this week, we peeled more peaches to make the peach crisp, which was made on Thursday. On Thursday night, we came in to make the rest of the ice cream. And then we made the 114 peach pies yesterday!”

According to Cleaver, the festival has the potential to grow a little larger, if the demand from the community remains strong. The event’s consistent popularity over the last two decades has proven to be a bit of a surprise, considering its humble beginnings as an ice cream social. For that ice cream social, Peterson and Cleaver had gotten together and baked a couple of peach pies, which proved to be so popular that every year after that, they continued making an increasing number of pies and began adding on other peach-themed menu items. The ice cream social quickly morphed into a festival, which has proven to be the church’s biggest annual fundraiser. Attendees have the freedom to either eat in the church’s dining room or take their food orders to-go.

Judy Pitzer stirs the pot of steamer meat in the New Street United Methodist Church kitchen on Saturday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston

“The ingredients are the best, so it’s no surprise how popular the festival has grown!” said Barbara Weller, in between packaging orders.

Peterson said that, with the festival, all of the church members are involved in some way, whether that be by peeling bushels of peaches for hours-on-end or by providing the funds to purchase said bushels of peaches. The majority of the festival proceeds will be used for refurbishment of the church’s historic building. In fact, with the proceeds from the annual festival and other fundraisers, the church is set to have its kitchen renovated for the first time in 50 years over the next month.

“We’re very excited to have these changes happening!” Peterson said. “This is the last major renovation we need to do inside of the church.”