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Press Releases
PIE DAY DESCRIPTION
Braham, Minnesota, the “Homemade Pie Capital of Minnesota,” holds a
one-day pie festival annually. This includes pies in the park,
crafters, a quilt show and performing artists on the first Friday of
August. For more information call 320-396-4956 or check the web page
at www.braham.com
Music, artisans, and pie
at the 19th Annual Braham Pie Day
Friday, August 1st is the
19th annual Braham Pie Day. The first piece of pie will
be served at 10 a.m. in downtown Braham in Freedom Park. Braham is
located one hour north of the Twin Cities just off Highway 65 on MN
107.
While eating pie visitors
can enjoy the entertainment from the Nordanstigs Spelmanslag from
Sweden, the Meire Grove Band, Siloa Creek bluegrass band, Ross
Sutter doing a set for children, and the Pie-Alluia Chorus.
Visitors will also have a chance to meet the Pie Day cast of roving
characters, Mr. Pastry, the Berry Fairy, and the Queen of Tarts.
Visitors can partake in
the pie baking contest, which opens for submissions at the Braham Ev.
Lutheran Church at 8 a.m., with an auction of pies at 3 p.m.. Other
events include a pie eating contests, the pie art, hat, craft, quilt
and fashion shows, the Sweet as Pie Collector’s Car Show,
Geo-caching ala mode and the “Pie in the Sky or Pie in Your Eye”
trivia contest. At the end of the day there will be an old time
Scandinavian dance at the Braham Community Center at 103 W. Central
Drive from 7 – 10 p.m.. Activities continue on Saturday, August 2
with the 1st Annual Braham-B-Q and Blues festival and on
Sunday, August 3 with a Celebration of Praise in Freedom Park.
Learn pie making, be a
Braham Pie Day volunteer
Folks
interested in making a lot of pie should sign up as a volunteer for
the Braham Pie Day work days on July 21, 23 and August 31. All
this effort leads up to the 19th annual Braham Pie Day
celebration on August 1. Braham is “The Homemade Pie Capital of
Minnesota” and is located one hour north of the Twin Cities just off
Hwy 65.
The
flour is donated by General Mills in memory of Mark Erickson, who
was a Braham graduate and General Mills employee.
During
two-hour shifts workers mix and weigh pie dough, peel apples, pit
cherries, slice peaches and fill and bake pies. “Experts and
beginners work side by side,” says Polly Grossbach, volunteer
coordinator. “There are a variety of jobs and you can start as a
cherry pitter, then work your way up to become an apple peeler and
finally join the ‘Peach People’.”
Call
320-396-2089 to sign up. Clean up occurs at the high school kitchen
on Monday, August 4. This activity is made possible in part
through support by Braham Area Schools and custodial staff.
Braham Pie Day
offers annual pie baking contest
Amateur
pie bakers can test their mettle against the best competition at the
annual Braham Pie Day pie baking contest on Friday, August 1. There
are six divisions: fresh fruit and/or cream, single crust, baked
(includes custard pies), double crust, baked, junior division for
ages 8-12 years and the Lifetime Achievement for ages 70 plus.
There is
a modest fee to enter each pie, which must also include the recipes
for the filling and the crust and should be submitted in nine or ten
inch non-returnable pie tins. Bakers should deliver their pies
between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. to the Braham Lutheran Church located at
West Central Drive and Co. Rd. 4. Braham is located on Hwy 107, one
hour north of the Twin Cities just off Hwy 65.
Smith
Auction House will auction off pies at 3 p.m. in Freedom Park, with
comments from the celebrity pie judges who will look for appearance,
taste, and texture.
Proceeds
from the auction sales will help support projects through the Braham
Area Committee for Kids that focus on healthy living for youth
through outdoor recreation. Other items at the auction include a
Joe Mauer autographed baseball bat and a rod and reel set made by
Merv Heitschmidt.
For information call
320-396-4956.
High energy musical groups performs in Braham, MN August 1
August 1 is a high-energy performance day at the “Homemade Pie
Capital of Minnesota,” located one hour north of the Twin Cities
just off Hwy 65.
At the Pie Day stage in Freedom Park are Siloa Creek, the
Nordanstigs spelmanslag from Hälsingland, Sweden, the Meire Grove
band, which is the longest continuous band in Minnesota, Ross
Sutter, and the Pie-Alluia Chorus with music and entertainment at
this annual event on the first Friday in August.
Siloa Creek will perform bluegrass music at 10 a.m. The Nordanstigs
spelmanslag traveled the farthest to join the Pie Day audience,
arriving from Sweden on their Midwest tour. They are on stage at 11
a.m. and 1:00 p.m. and will play traditional Swedish music. Their
director is an award winning fiddler, recognized as a national folk
treasure in Sweden. The Meire Grove band will perform at 2 p.m.
Ross Sutter will do a set for children and the young at heart at
4:15 p.m. and the Nordanstigs spelmanslag will finish off the
evening from 7:00-10 p.m. at a traditional Scandinavian dance at the
Braham Community Center located at 103 W. Central Dr. There is a
modest fee for the dance.
Guests can stick around for the weekend to enjoy the 1st
Annual Braham-B-Q on Saturday, August 2, and then on Sunday, August
3 visitors can enjoy local blue grass and gospel performers at the
evening Celebration of Praise. Both of these events are held in
Freedom Park.
Pie-Alluia Chorus sings at Pie Day
All voices and abilities are invited to join the Pi-Alluia Chorus in
Braham, MN. this summer and learn a 30-minute repertoire of pie
songs to perform at Braham Pie Day on Friday, August 1.
Braham, located one hour north of the Twin Cities just off Highway
65 is “The Homemade Pie Capital of Minnesota,” and celebrates that
status with one-day pie festival each year on the first Friday in
August.
The colorful and costumed chorus will perform as roving minstrels at
Elmhurst Commons and Park Manor around the 11 o’clock hour, and will
sing on stage at 12:30 p.m. in Freedom Park.
Kathy Hare, voice teacher from Freeport, MN. directs the chorus and
has scheduled a rehearsal for Saturday, July 26 at 1 p.m. at the
Braham Evangelical Lutheran Church on West Central Drive and Co Rd 4
in Braham. The repertoire includes “Billy Boy,” “Sunshine Pie,”
“The Rhubarb of My Eye,” the “Pie-Alluia Chorus” and “Pie R Pi” by
Malcolm Dalglish.
There is no cost to participate. “If you love to have fun singing,
we welcome you,” says Hare. “If you know of some pie songs that we
should incorporate into our repertoire, let us know by leaving a
message at the Pie Day office, 320-396-4956.
Art & Craft Show is a big feature of Braham Pie Day August 1
One great place to shop while at Braham Pie Day is the art and craft
show in the park, on Friday August 1 in Freedom Park adjacent to Hwy
107. Braham is located one hour north of the Twin Cities just of Hwy
65.
Crafters will sell their colorful array of original crafts, pie
designs and folk art items between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
To become a crafter or food vendor send an email to
tfix@braham.k12.mn.us or call 320-396-4956 and leave your name
and mailing address.
Celebrity Judges John Michael Lerma and Anne Gillespie Lewis will
judge pie baking contest in Braham on August 1
Each
year the pie baking contest planners at Braham Pie Day try to find
just the right “Celebrity Judges” to come and review the pies
submitted for competition. John Michael Lerma, cookbook author, Food
Network guest and pie competitor at the Great American Pie
Celebration in Florida will join the judging team again this year
with Anne Gillespie Lewis from Minneapolis.
Lewis’s
career began as a sports writer, working in both Norway and the
U.S. Most recently folks have read her food articles in the “Star
Tribune” food section. People of Swedish ancestry might know her
book, “Swedes in Minnesota,” or her contributions to the ASI Posten.
She has been a presenter at Braham Area High School through grant
funded programs and also at the Cambridge Swedish Festival.
In the
past Braham Pie Day has hosted Jane and Michael Stern authors of
Road Food, Sue Hoss, editor from Country Magazine Michael
Jackson of the American Pie Council, Anne Dimock, pie book author,
Mary Bartz of General Mills and associate home economists from the
Betty Crocker Kitchens, Wayne Gisslen, author of Professional
Baking, Paul Booth from the Minneapolis Community and Technical
College, and Chefs Jim Lund and Chris Dwyer and John Michael Lerma.
Judges
will have a list of criteria to consider when tasting each entry and
then they will share their thoughts during the 3 p.m. auction, which
is a fundraiser for the Braham Area Committee for Kids (BACK). For
contestants entry times are 8 to 10 a.m. at the Braham Ev. Lutheran
Church, where all each person will get their picture taken and have
a chance to meet each other and talk about pie. For more
information about the contest call 320-396-4956.
How Fast Can You
Eat Pie? Come to Braham on August 1
Braham
Pie Day offers two opportunities to eat pie as quickly as possible
at the one-day festival on Friday, August 1. Speedy pie eating is
the main criteria to win the junior or senior pie-eating contests
at 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. in Freedom
Park on Main Street. Braham is located one hour north of the Twin
Cities on Hwy 107 just off Hwy 65.
The
winners will get their 15 minutes of fame and possibly a photo in
the local papers following the event. Contest organizer Ellen
Cunningham says, “Fame does not seem to be the motivator for our
contestants. We’re not sure why they choose to participate, but we
know that the audience absolutely loves to watch.”
Each competitor eats a whole pie made of graham cracker crust,
filled with blueberries and topped with whipped cream.
Please
call 320-396-2505 to register to become one of the seven candidates.
Test your Pie and Pi Knowledge at the “Pie in Your Eye or Sky”
contest in Braham, MN
Folks who know a lot about pies and a little about the mathematical
symbol pi are invited to form a team for the 2nd annual “Pie in Your
Eye or Pie in the Sky Trivia Contest,” which takes place at Braham
Pie Day on Friday August 1, in Freedom Park on Hwy 107 at 5:00 p.m.
Mr. Pastry and the Berry Fairy work hard all year to come up with
questions to test the mettle of contestants. They say that it will
also help if teams know something about the town of Braham.
The goal is to get the most answers right and win a modest prize.
Teams that do not fare so well get a chance to see what a “pie in
the eye” is like. There is no fee to enter.
Braham is located one hour north of the Twin Cities just off Hwy
65. For more information or to register for the contest call
320.396.4956.
Pie Day
stage hosts Tusen Tack Fashion Show
Braham’s
second hand clothing shop, Tusen Tack, will host its annual fashion
show at Braham Pie Day at 11:45 a.m. on Friday, August 1.
Their
show also includes a variety of “surprises,” sometimes featuring
local performers who enjoy having an audience.
Come to Braham Pie Day for commemorative pie merchandise
One of the creative activities undertaken by the Braham Pie Day
committee is to come up with pie related inventory to offer guests
at Braham Pie Day, on Friday August 1. Visitors can view a
selection of pie items at the Headquarters Tent in Freedom Park
adjacent to Hwy 107.
The 2008 special includes potholders and dish towels with new and
contemporary colors. Items making a repeat appearance for guest’s
convenience are the commemorative pie tie stamped by Aurelius
Manufacturing and the limited edition ceramic pie plates and crocks
created by Brush Strokes Studio in Braham. All items are printed
with the Pie Day logo.
Braham is located one hour north of the Twin Cities just off Hwy
65. Headquarters will begin sales at 10 a.m.
August 1 Scandinavian Dance at Braham Pie Day
Special guests at Braham Pie Day this year include the Nordanstigs
spelmanslag from east central Sweden in Hälsingland. They will
perform on stage during the day and will help bring the annual pie
festival to a conclusion with the Sweety Pie Dance held at the
Braham Community Center at 103 W. Central Dr from 7 – 10 p.m. There
is a modest fee to enter.
All who enjoy bygdedans will find a variety of tunes for pols,
polska, and hambo, as well as gammaldans tunes for waltz,
schottische and polka. They will play tunes made famous by Korp
Erik, a well known Swedish folk musician.
Braham is located one hour north of the Twin Cities just off Hwy 65.
The community center is in the heart of the downtown area.
6th Annual Sweet As Pie Car Show featured at Braham Pie Day
Vintage and collector’s cars will appear on 3rd street SW
during Braham Pie Day in the Sweet as Pie Collector’s Car Show on
Friday, August 1. Registration begins at 9 a.m. Braham is located
one hour north of the Twin Cities on Highway 107 just off Hwy 65.
All are invited to vote for the people’s choice award, which will be
announced on the main stage just before the pie auction.
For more information call the Braham Ford Garage at 320.396.2962.
Kids ‘N
Berries Tent provides arts activities on August 1
Children
who enjoy making arts and crafts are invited to the Kids ‘n Berries
Tent at Braham Pie day on Friday, August 1, at the south end of
Freedom Park. Local artists, performers and girl scouts will
provide a variety of activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year’s
Queen of Tarts, Laurie Lissey will do face painting.
2nd Annual Antique and Collectors Pi-Cycle Show at Braham Pie Day
Since gas prices are so high this summer, Braham Pie Day is
encouraging bicycle riding through its Pi-Cycle Show on Friday,
August 1, located at 2nd St SW near the Lumber Yard.
Bikes of all ages and descriptions will be featured.
To
enter the show, or to get more information call 320-396-4956.
Braham is located one hour north of the Twin Cities on Highway 107
just off Hwy 65.
Heartland Express provides Park and Ride at Pie Day
For ease and convenience in parking, Braham Pie Day guests can
choose to park and ride between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday, August
1 in Braham. The Chisago Isanti Heartland Express does the driving
and picks up passengers at the Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church,
Elmhurst Commons and Park Manor and drops them at City Hall.
Organizers of the Small Quilts Show and the Pi-Cycle Show, located
at City Hall and Braham Lumber respectively, especially invite bus
riders to visit their exhibits while waiting for the shuttle.
Come to Braham Pie Day for commemorative pie merchandise
One of the creative activities undertaken by the Braham Pie Day
committee is to come up with pie related inventory to offer guests
at Braham Pie Day, on Friday August 1. Visitors can view a
selection of pie items at the Headquarters Tent in Freedom Park
adjacent to Hwy 107.
The 2008 special includes potholders and dish towels with new and
contemporary colors. Items making a repeat appearance for guest’s
convenience are the commemorative pie tie stamped by Aurelius
Manufacturing and the limited edition ceramic pie plates and crocks
created by Brush Strokes Studio in Braham. All items are printed
with the Pie Day logo.
Braham is located one hour north of the Twin Cities just off Hwy
65. Headquarters will begin sales at 10 a.m.
Celebration of pie culture in Braham
The
culture of pie is going to be re-invented for the 19th
time on Friday, August 1 in Braham, the “Homemade Pie Capital of
Minnesota.” Braham Pie Day is a one-day event held in downtown
Braham, located one hour north of the Twin Cities just off Highway
65. This year visitors can come back to Braham for a Celebration of
Praise on Sunday August 3 at 6:30 p.m.
This day
of family entertainment includes a small quilts show, crafters, an
art show, a pie trivia contest called “Pie in the Sky or Pie in Your
Eye,” an amateur pie-baking contest, two pie eating contests, and
over 873 homemade pies. Children are invited to participate in the
Kids ‘N Berries children’s art tent.
Pie has
inspired some of the Braham community to write songs, odes, ballads,
raps, plays, poems, make murals, videos, street puppets, flags, folk
costumes. Folks live by the motto, “You can’t help but smile when
you say ‘pie’.”
Featured
performers this year are the Nordanstigs Spelmanslag from Swede,
Ross Sutter, Siloa Creek and the Meire Grove Band, Minnesota’s most
continuous and oldest band, the Berry Fairy, Mr. Pastry, Ms. Piety,
the Queen of Tarts, and the Pie-Alluia Chorus.
Guests
are invited to stay for the weekend and enjoy the 1st
annual Braham-B-Q on Saturday, August 2, and the Community
Celebration of Praise on Sunday, August 3, both located in Freedom
Park.
For more
information call 320-396-4956.
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