Finding some charming and tasty fun near your Chicago home this weekend is easy as pie, because on Sunday, October 16th, the Seventh Annual Bucktown Apple Pie Contest kicks off from 2 to 5p.m. What started in 2005 as a small fundraising event has now grown to be one of Chicago’s local’s most beloved food events of the season. If you live in Chicago, don’t miss out on this Sunday’s fun.
This year’s Bucktown Apple Pie Contest is bigger than ever with live music, face painting, games, prizes, pony rides and all the pie in the sky. Over 200 homemade pies, to be more exact! It is an apple pie baking contest that draws amateur bakers and pastry pros from all over the city to compete for the coveted blue ribbon. If you don’t bake, you’re still in for some pie fun. Come out to hear great bluegrass music by Tangleweed, bring the kids, bid on something at the silent auction, take your chances on the $1,000 cash raffle or just cheer on your favorite baker.
Pie contest entries will be judged by local chefs, gourmands, and even a few celebrities, taste testing and searching for the prized combination of appearance, taste and texture. A new twist on this year’s competition is a professional division where professional pastry chefs, local restaurants, farmers market vendors and others will compete to see who makes the best apple pie in the city. Come hungry, because after the judges have their say, you can try some of those fabulous pies for just a few bucks. Guests who are not competing can sample the pies at $3 a slice; whole pies in the professional division will be sold for $25.
Organized by Friends of Holstein Park, the Pie Contest raises funds for park improvements, safety and community-building initiatives, and is expected to attract nearly 2,000 people to Holstein Park. It’s all happening at Holstein Park, 2200 N. Oakley in Chicago. This event is free to the public. For more information, click here.
