WILLISTON - The nuts come in all varieties at the annual Central Florida Peanut Festival in Willison: roasted, boiled, fried, baked.

For peanut lovers all around North Central Florida , the festival is something to look forward to annually.

It has been part of the Williston community for 23 years.  Organized by the Chamber of Commerce, the festival starts every year on the first Saturday of October.

Over the years, it has grown from 3,000 to  15,000 people over the years, one of the Board of Directors in the chamber, Earl Ogle tells me.

"Levy county is like number two in the state for producing peanuts and the hub of like the peanut processing plants are in Williston," Earl Ogle, one of the Board of Directors said.

Each year, the festival draws peanut lovers.

"I eat them by the pound full." said festival attendant Mike Ciccarello. "Eatin' the peanuts gotta be the favorite part, isn't it?"

Ciccarello  says the festival was a lucky discovery for him.

"We just came up one year and then realized the festival was going on and my brother in law and a couple of others come up here, so now we come up every year," Ciccarello said.

He says he is planning to gather even more family to come up with him for next year's festival.

The 24th annual Central Florida Peanut Festival is scheduled for Oct.  5 2013.