Peach Days and kick-ass fried chicken!

Today was the culmination of Brigham City's Peach Days festival.

Started in 1904 as a day-off from the harvest and time to celebrate "an abundance of the best peaches in Utah", this city-wide event is the longest continually celebrated harvest festival in Utah, and is reported to be the second oldest in the country. Peach Days is an honored tradition that brings approximately 75,000 spectators a fun-filled weekend that the Top of Utah and Southern Idaho residents look forward to every year.

That pretty much sums it up. As great as the fair itself is, I tend to look forward more to the trip home, when I get to stop in at the famous Maddox Ranch House and buy a box of their locally famous fried chicken and rolls.

This is serious chicken that cannot be beat. Unlike KFC or other restaurant fried chicken, Maddox does not drown theirs in batter. Instead, it's tossed in a mixture of corn meal, spices, bread crumbs, and probably a lot of other secret ingredients. The rolls are to die for; fluffy with an ever-so slight crunch to the crust. I'm pretty sure that butter, and a good amount of it, plays a role in their goodness. They also serve a killer honey-butter (pictured front and right).

Another perk to attending Peach Days is partaking in the event's namesake...peaches.

All along Highway 89 between Brigham City and North Ogden--a stretch of road known as the Fruit Way--local farms and orchards set-up stands and small markets to sell their freshest produce. Peaches are among the favorite crops of the area. I foresee some pies, preserves, and cobblers in the very near future. ^_^