An assortment of fruity and delectable smells filled the Wilkowski Park air and drew a crowd of curious paradegoers, Saturday, Aug. 26. We Love Rainier’s inaugural pie contest at the Rainier Round-Up Days featured eight contestants in the race, and growing interest surrounded the tent as four judges determined the winner.
After several minutes of calculations and discussions among the judges, We Love Rainier member Tanya Waddell announced Rainier resident Angela Dalzin as the winner with her mixed berry lemon zest pie. Dalzin, an avid baker, described the pie as crustless with strawberries and blackberries lined on the bottom and a sprinkle of oats.
“I didn’t expect it. I’m really excited,” said Dalzin, who added that the recipe doesn’t necessarily have a special meaning to her but is one of her favorites to bake. “It was fun. I would do it again.”
Dalzin and the second- and third-place finishers earned ribbons for their pies.
Each of the pies received a thorough review by the judges. The pies were critiqued on four categories: overall appearance, taste, overall impression and level of creativity.
The taste category was worth 40% of the overall score, while the other three each made up 20%. Outer and inner texture, consistency of crust, mouth feel and aftertaste were among the scoring categories.
“I’ve never done anything like that before,” said Betty Kuykendall, a contest judge and We Love Rainier member. “I didn’t realize there were so many different pies and variations of berries. I really enjoyed it.”
Shortly after the contest, the pies were auctioned off to benefit numerous benefits done in Rainier, including an upcoming HUGS (hats, underwear, gloves, socks) drive and a future school supply drive in January.
Rainier City Councilor George Johnson conceived the pie contest idea as a way to add an old-fashioned feel to the Rainier Round-Up Days.
“We wanted it to be like an old-fashioned kind of event,” We Love Rainier member Dina Wagner said. “ We try to keep things retro here in this small town.”
As it was the first such contest, We Love Rainier members were unsure if the event would be a one-off or an annual occasion at Rainier Round-Up Days. But after a strong pool of contestants and good turnout, the contest may be here to stay, Waddell said.
“It turned out very well. I think we’ll definitely do it again. It was a hit,” she said.
