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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
 


20th Annual Celebration of pie culture in Braham

The culture of pie is going to be re-invented for the 20th time at Braham Pie Day, a one-day festival on Friday, August 7 in Braham, the “Homemade Pie Capital of Minnesota.” The community is located one hour north of the Twin Cities just off Highway 65.  This year visitors can also come back to Braham for a Celebration of Praise on Sunday August 8 at 6:30 p.m.

This day of family entertainment includes a small quilts show, crafters, a collector’s car show, an antique bicycle show, 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 930 homemade pies. Children are invited to participate in the Kids ‘N Berries children’s art tent. Guests can pre-emptively walk off their pie calories by taking part in Nature’s Way One Mile Cherry Pie Walk at 9 a.m.  Participants should meet at the chiropractic clinic on West Central Dr.

Pie has inspired members of the Braham community to write songs, odes, ballads, raps, plays, poems, make murals, videos, street puppets, flags and folk costumes.  Folks live by the motto, “You can’t help but smile when you say ‘pie’.”

Featured performers this year are the Meire Grove Band, Minnesota’s most continuous and oldest band, blue grass band Siloa Creek, folk singer Heatherlyn, storyteller Rose Arrowsmith-DeCoux,  the Berry Fairy, Mr. Pastry, the Queen of Tarts, and the Pie-Alluia Chorus.

Guests are invited to stay for the weekend and enjoy the Community Celebration of Praise at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 8, located in Freedom Park.

For more information call 320-396-4956 or check out the web page to see photos from last year at www.pieday.com  A new place to learn more about Pie Day is at http://kstp.com.  Scroll down to the “On the road” and then in the archives find, “How Sweet it is,” a program that featured Braham and its pies, produced by Jason Davis

 

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 27, 29 and August 6.   All this effort leads up to the 20th annual Braham Pie Day celebration on August 7.  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 10.   This activity is made possible in part through support by Braham Area Schools and custodial staff. 

 


 

Pie Day features high-energy entertainment

   Braham Pie Day audiences have come to expect the best in arts and entertainment at the one-day festival that celebrates pie on Friday, August 7.

   Making first time visits to the “Pie Capital of Minnesota” is Heatherlyn from Minneapolis.  Returning are the Meire Grove Band, the longest continuous band in Minnesota, Rose Arrowsmith-DeCoux, who will do a set for the children and the young at heart, Siloa Creek, and the Pie-Alluia Chorus.

   The performance stage begins at 10 a.m. and continues through until 6:00 p.m. 

 

20th annual Braham Pie Day features Music, artisans

Many activities make up the program for the 20th annual Braham Pie Day on Friday, August 7.  Guests can enjoy their first piece of pie at 10 a.m. simultaneously to the songs and tunes performed by Siloa Creek blue grass band.  That is also the start times for the crafts show, the Sweet as Pie Collector’s Car Show, the Pi-cycle show, the Small Quilts Show and the Pie A(r)t Squared art and hat show.

The Berry Fairy and Mr. Pastry will serve as hosts for the stage where everyone can listen to music from Heatherlyn from Minneapolis, the Meire Grove Band, and the Pie-Alluia Chorus and Rose Arrowsmith-DeCoux will tell stories for the young at heart.  Also at the stage are the annual pie eating contests, the pie auction, the “Pie in the Sky or Pie in Your Eye” trivia contest and the Tusen Tack Variety Show.

Activities continue on Sunday, August 8 at 6:30 p.m. with a Celebration of Praise in Freedom Park. A new place to learn more about Pie Day is at http://kstp.com.  Scroll down to the “On the road” and then in the archives find, “How Sweet it is,” a program that featured Braham and its pies, produced by Jason Davis.

The event is made possible in part through funding from these local sponsors: ECM Sanitation, Smith Auction, East Central Energy, Rural American Bank-Braham, and the City of Braham.  For more information call 320-396-4956 or visit the web page at to see photos from previous celebrations at www.pieday.com

 

 

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 7. Folks interested in modeling should visit the shop on West Central Drive in downtown Braham prior to the festival.  For more information call 320-396-3794. 

 

 

Geo-caching a la mode at Pie Day

The Braham Park Board will once again offer an activity at Braham Pie Day this year, called Geo-caching ala mode.  Participants should come to the Headquarters Tent at 10 a.m. to get the first coordinates.  According to Bob Aas, Park board member, this activity is “a little like orienteering, a little like a scavenger hunt.”  At each stop along the hunt, participants find the cache, leave something behind and take something out.  This will be an opportunity for guests to enjoy several of Braham’s parks.

The community is located one hour north of the Twin Cities, just off Hwy 65 on Minnesota 107.

 

 

Colorful characters welcome guests to Braham Pie Day

Some colorful characters will be adding extra flavor to Braham Pie Day on Friday, August 7 in Freedom Park.

The Queen of Tarts will appear at the Kids ‘N Berries tent offering face painting from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Berry Fairy can help make your pies sweeter, while our host Mr. Pastry will certainly help guests feel welcome.   Look for them on the Pie Day stage, where they serve as masters of ceremonies all day.  They are also in charge of the “Pie in your eye, or pie in the sky” trivia contest at 5 p.m. where teams can compete to show their knowledge about the mathematical symbol pi, the kind of pie you eat and bits of trivia about Braham.

To sign up for the trivia contest call 320-396-4956 or stop by the Headquarters Tent on Pie Day.

 

 

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 7.

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 senior living establishments Elmhurst Commons and Park Manor around the 11 o’clock hour, and will sing on the pie 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, August 1at 2 p.m. at the Braham Evangelical Lutheran Church on West Central Drive and Co Rd 4 in Braham.  She has composed a new song called, “Paella,” that will premier at the festival this year.  The repertoire also 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.

 

 

Braham Pie Baking Contest invites participants

Amateur pie bakers are invited to bring their best hand crafted pies to the annual Braham Pie Day pie baking contest on Friday, August 7.  Delivery times are 8 to 10 a.m. at the Braham Ev. Lutheran Church on W. Central Drive and Co. Rd. 4.  The community is located one hour north of the Twin Cities just of Hwy 65.  The Braham Area Committee for Kids (BACK) sponsors this event as a fundraiser for its outdoor recreation projects.

Categories are:  fresh fruit and/or cream, single crust, baked (includes custard pies), double crust, baked, junior division, ages 8-12 years, teen group ages 13 – 17, and the Lifetime Achievement, ages 70 plus.  Bakers should deliver their pies in a nine or ten inch non-returnable pie tin, with recipes included for both crust and filling.  There is a modest entry fee for each pie, which will be reviewed by celebrity judges John Michael Lerma and Rose McGee and then sent to the auction with Smith Auction at 3 p.m. on the Pie Day stage in Freedom Park.

Two baseball items autographed by Minnesota Twins player Joe Mauer will be included in the auction.

Proceeds from the auction sales will help support healthy living for youth through outdoor recreation.

 

 

Celebrity Judges John Michael Lerma and Rose McGee will judge pie baking contest in Braham on August 7

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 Rose McGee from the Twin Cities. McGee puts creative energy into her sweet potato pie business as well as storytelling.

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.

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).  Entry times are 8 to 10 a.m. at the Braham Ev. Lutheran Church, where everyone will get their picture taken and have a chance to meet other contestants to talk about pie. 

 

 

How Fast Can You Eat Pie? Come to Braham on August 7

Braham Pie Day offers two opportunities to eat pie as quickly as possible at the one-day festival on Friday, August 7. 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 320-396-4956 to register to become one of the seven candidates in either contest.

 

 

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 3rd annual “Pie in Your Eye or Pie in the Sky Trivia Contest,” which takes place at5 p.m. Braham Pie Day on Friday August 7, in Freedom Park located on Hwy 107 in downtown Braham, “The Homemade Pie Capital of Minnesota.”

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.  The team with the lowest score gets to throw a pie in each other’s face. 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.  To see photos from previous Braham Pie Day celebrations visit www.pieday.com

 

 

 

Art & Craft Show is a big feature of Braham Pie Day

August 7

One great place to shop while at Braham Pie Day is the art and craft show, on Friday August 7 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.  

For more information about other program items at the festival visit www.pieday.com to see photos from previous years.  To become a crafter or food vendor send an email to BrahamPieDay@hotmail.com or call 320-396-4956 and leave your name and mailing address. Pre-registration is required. The show does not accept registrations on festival day.

 

 

 

Braham Pie Day produces New Cookbook for 20th Anniversary

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 7.  Visitors can view a selection of pie items at the Headquarters Tent in Freedom Park adjacent to Hwy 107. 

The 2009 special includes a new cookbook celebrating 20 years of Pie Day stories and photos. Items making a repeat appearance for guest’s convenience are the 20th annual pie day t-shirt,  potholders and dish towels with new and contemporary colors, the commemorative pie tin stamped by Aurelius Manufacturing, a traveling coffee mug 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. 

 

 

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 7 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.

 

 

Kids ‘N Berries Tent provides arts activities on August 7

Children who enjoy making arts and crafts are invited to the Kids ‘n Berries Tent at Braham Pie day on Friday, August 7, 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 will do face painting.  A special story time at the pie stage is scheduled for 1 p.m. with storyteller Rose Arrowsmith-DeCoux.

 

 

 

7th 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 7.  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.

 

 

 

3rd Annual Antique and Collectors Pi-Cycle Show at Braham Pie Day

Since gas prices seem to be on a roller coaster this year, Braham Pie Day is encouraging bicycle riding at its Pi-Cycle Show on Friday, August 7, 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.

 

 

Pie is the theme for Art and hat show in Braham

Artists from all over are invited to muse on the topic of the kind of pie you eat, the mathematical symbol pi, or what is involved in raising, harvesting or preparing pie ingredients.  The Pie A(r)t Squared Art and Hat show runs from the first Friday in August until the day after Labor Day at the Braham Community Center, located at 103 W. Central Dr. in downtown Braham.

All forms are media are encouraged.  All ages are invited to enter at no cost.  There are modest pie related prizes donated by many local sponsors.  Winners will be announced at the Pie Day stage at 5:50 p.m. on Friday August 7.  Deliver work to Braham City Hall by Monday, August 3 to be considered for judging.

 

 

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