This North Carolina Roadside Stand Serves Peach Ice Cream You Have To Try This Season
Peach season brings something magical to the roadside stands scattered across the South. Fresh peach ice cream is the kind of treat that makes summer feel complete, and one family-owned spot has perfected the recipe over nearly four decades.
Ben’s Ice Cream stands as a beloved destination where homemade flavors meet farm-fresh fruit in every scoop. North Carolina knows how to do summer right.
Visitors travel from cities like Greensboro just to taste what makes this place special, and the generous portions keep families coming back year after year. The shop sits at 1495 NC-211 in Eagle Springs, where peach orchards stretch across 50 acres and tractors deliver fresh produce throughout the day.
More than just an ice cream stop, this fourth-generation farm offers a genuine taste of agricultural heritage wrapped in creamy, cold perfection that captures the essence of the season in every bite.
1. A Family Legacy Spanning Four Generations
Kalawi Farm began its journey in 1985 when Jan and Art Williams decided to turn their peach-growing operation into something the whole community could enjoy. The farm name itself tells a family story, combining the first letters of their first three children: Katie, Laura, and Will.
Their fourth child, Ben, inspired the ice cream shop that would become the heart of their operation. Now spanning four generations, the Williams family has built a reputation on quality fruit and homemade treats that reflect decades of agricultural knowledge.
The 50-acre property produces over 35 varieties of peaches alongside blueberries, sweet corn, and watermelons. Each season brings fresh harvests that go straight from the orchard into ice cream flavors and farm stand displays.
Tractors rumble past throughout the day, delivering produce that was picked just hours before customers arrive.
This connection between field and freezer creates an authenticity that modern shoppers rarely experience anymore.
2. Over Twenty Homemade Ice Cream Flavors
Walking up to the counter reveals a rainbow of homemade ice cream flavors that go far beyond standard vanilla and chocolate. More than 20 varieties fill the display case, each one crafted on-site using recipes the Williams family has perfected over the years.
Many flavors carry the names of the family’s ten grandchildren, turning the menu into a sweet family tree. Amy’s Amazing Cookie Dough and Nash’s Nanner Pudding are customer favorites that show how personal touches make the experience memorable.
The selection changes with the seasons, highlighting whatever fruits are at their peak ripeness. Summer brings berry flavors bursting with fresh-picked sweetness, while autumn might feature apple or pumpkin variations.
Traditional favorites like butter pecan and cookies and cream sit alongside more adventurous options that showcase the farm’s produce.
Fresh waffle cones add an extra layer of texture and aroma that fills the shop with a warm, inviting scent.
3. Paisley’s Popular Peach Steals The Show
Among all the flavors available, one stands out as the signature taste of summer at this roadside stand. Paisley’s Popular Peach captures everything special about North Carolina peach season in a single scoop, using fruit picked from the orchards surrounding the shop.
The peaches come from trees the Williams family tends throughout the year, ensuring the fruit reaches perfect ripeness before harvest. Real peach chunks mix into a creamy base that tastes nothing like artificial flavoring found in grocery store versions.
Customers who make the drive specifically for this flavor often describe it as the best peach ice cream they’ve ever tasted. The natural sweetness of tree-ripened fruit shines through without being overwhelming, and the texture maintains a smooth consistency even as the peach pieces add bursts of fresh flavor.
During peak peach season, this flavor tends to be the first one that needs refilling throughout the day.
4. Portions That Could Feed A Small Army
First-time visitors often express surprise at just how much ice cream arrives in their cup or cone. A single scoop qualifies as generous by any standard, while a double scoop approaches the size of a small meal and easily satisfies two people with modest appetites.
The serving sizes reflect old-fashioned values about giving customers their money’s worth. Families appreciate the value, especially when treating multiple children to a summer afternoon snack.
The ice cream stays cold and creamy even in warm weather, though the sheer volume means eating quickly becomes necessary.
Many reviewers mention needing to share their orders or feeling comfortably full after finishing just one serving. The portions work particularly well for road-trippers who want a substantial treat to fuel the next leg of their journey.
This approach to serving sizes has become part of the shop’s reputation, with regulars warning newcomers to start small until they understand the scale involved.
5. Farm Stand Bursting With Fresh Seasonal Produce
The ice cream shop shares space with a farm stand that showcases everything growing on the property. Bins overflow with produce that was in the ground or on the tree that same morning, offering a direct farm-to-table experience without the restaurant markup.
More than 35 varieties of peaches appear throughout the summer season, each with its own flavor profile and ideal uses. Sweet corn arrives in quantities that suggest serious growing operations, while blueberries and watermelons round out the summer selection.
Customers can fill bags with whatever looks freshest, knowing the fruit will taste significantly better than supermarket versions that traveled hundreds of miles. The farm stand operates on the same hours as the ice cream shop, making it convenient to grab both a treat and ingredients for dinner.
Prices reflect the direct-from-farmer model, offering fair value for produce at peak ripeness and flavor that simply cannot be replicated through commercial agriculture and long-distance shipping.
6. Play Areas That Keep Children Entertained
Parents discover quickly that this stop offers more than just food and treats. A collection of play equipment transforms a simple ice cream run into an afternoon adventure that lets children burn energy while adults relax at nearby picnic tables.
A giant slide towers over the play area, offering the kind of thrilling descent that makes kids want to climb back up immediately. A trampoline provides another high-energy outlet, while corn bins create a surprisingly engaging sensory experience that children find endlessly entertaining.
Kids make corn angels, bury themselves in kernels, and invent games that parents never would have predicted. The play areas are well-built and maintained, giving parents confidence that the equipment will hold up to enthusiastic use.
This combination of treats and activities makes the farm a destination rather than just a quick stop, encouraging families to linger and enjoy the rural setting while children play themselves into happy exhaustion.
7. Autumn Brings A Full Festival Experience
October transforms the property into an autumn celebration that draws families from throughout the region. A corn maze challenges visitors to find their way through towering stalks, while a jumping pillow adds bouncy fun to the seasonal offerings.
The super slide remains popular even as temperatures cool, and a barrel train chugs around the property carrying excited passengers. A pirate ship play structure adds an unexpected nautical element to the farm setting, sparking imaginative play among younger visitors.
Hayrides rumble through the orchards and fields, offering a classic fall experience at prices that make family outings affordable. The autumn attractions complement the continued availability of ice cream and produce, creating a multi-faceted destination that gives families reasons to return throughout the season.
These seasonal additions show how the farm adapts to different times of year while maintaining its core focus on quality products and family-friendly experiences that create lasting memories without requiring expensive admission fees.
8. Four-Legged Friends Receive Special Treatment
Pet owners traveling with their furry companions find a welcoming atmosphere that extends beyond human customers. The farm offers complimentary scoops of vanilla ice cream specifically for dogs, making it one of the few places that truly includes the whole family in the treat experience.
This thoughtful touch shows attention to the reality that many people consider their pets essential family members. Dogs can accompany their owners through the outdoor areas, and the picnic tables provide shaded spots where everyone can enjoy their ice cream together.
The gesture costs the farm relatively little but creates significant goodwill among customers who appreciate businesses that welcome their animals. Reviews frequently mention the pup cups as a highlight, with photos of happy dogs enjoying their vanilla scoops appearing across social media.
This inclusive approach reflects the family-oriented values that guide the entire operation, recognizing that memorable experiences often involve every member of the family, whether they walk on two legs or four.
9. Authentic Working Farm Atmosphere Throughout
Unlike theme parks or staged experiences, this location functions as a genuine agricultural operation where real farming happens every day. Tractors move between fields delivering fresh harvests, and the rhythm of farm work continues regardless of how many customers are browsing the ice cream flavors.
This authenticity creates an educational opportunity for children and adults who have lost touch with where their food originates. Watching produce arrive straight from the field drives home the connection between agriculture and the meals families eat at home.
The working farm atmosphere means things sometimes feel a bit rough around the edges compared to polished retail environments. Dust from the fields might settle on surfaces, and the sounds of farm equipment provide background noise that some visitors find charming while others might consider distracting.
For those seeking a genuine farm experience rather than a sanitized version, this environment delivers exactly what it promises without pretense or artificial staging that would diminish the real agricultural heritage on display.
10. Educational Opportunities For School Groups
Teachers looking for field trip destinations that combine fun with learning find a willing partner in the Williams family operation. The farm welcomes educational visits where students can observe farm-to-table processes firsthand rather than just reading about them in textbooks.
Children see how peaches grow on trees, learn about seasonal harvest cycles, and understand the work required to bring food from field to market. These hands-on lessons stick with students far longer than classroom lectures, creating memories that shape their understanding of agriculture and food systems.
The ice cream component provides a sweet reward that makes the educational content more palatable to younger students who might otherwise resist a farm visit. Teachers appreciate having a destination that satisfies curriculum requirements while also giving students an enjoyable experience they’ll talk about for weeks.
School groups need to coordinate visits in advance, but the farm’s willingness to accommodate educational tours shows a commitment to community involvement that extends beyond simple commercial transactions and into genuine investment in the next generation’s agricultural literacy.
11. Convenient Location Along Highway 211
Finding the farm requires no complicated navigation or unmarked rural roads. The location sits directly along NC Highway 211 in Eagle Springs, making it accessible for both local residents and travelers passing through the area on their way to other destinations.
The address at 1495 NC-211 places the farm in a spot that serves as a natural stopping point for road trips between larger cities. Ample parking accommodates the steady stream of visitors without creating the congestion that plagues more urban ice cream shops during peak hours.
Operating hours run from 10 AM to 6 PM Tuesday through Saturday, with Sunday hours starting at 1 PM and closing at 6 PM. The shop closes on Mondays, giving the family a day to restock and prepare for the week ahead.
This schedule works well for most visitors, though those traveling on Mondays need to plan accordingly. The convenient highway location combined with reasonable hours makes spontaneous stops easy for anyone driving through the region during the warmer months.
12. Community Favorite With Exceptional Reviews
Online ratings tell a consistent story about customer satisfaction that spans hundreds of reviews. A 4.7-star rating from 634 Google reviews represents a significant sample size that suggests genuine quality rather than a few lucky experiences.
Customers regularly drive considerable distances specifically for the ice cream, with some traveling from Greensboro over an hour away just to get their favorite flavors. The willingness to make such trips speaks to quality that cannot be replicated closer to home.
Reviews praise the generous portions, authentic flavors, and friendly service that makes visitors feel welcome rather than rushed. The occasional negative review typically focuses on personal flavor preferences rather than quality issues, and the farm owners respond professionally to criticism.
This community support has sustained the business for nearly four decades, creating a loyal customer base that returns season after season and introduces new generations to the same treats they enjoyed as children visiting with their own parents years earlier.
