Pie Day + Me = Love

We heard that Braham, MN has an annual Pie Day.  In fact, they claim to be the Pie Capital of Minnesota.  Pie Day is held on the first Friday of August each year, which, as it happens was just this past Friday.  So we put in for some time off, packed up the baby, and drove an hour north for Pie Day.

We were afraid that we wouldn't be able to find Freedom Park, where the festival is held.  It wasn't a preloaded location in the GPS, but I'd looked it up on the map and had a general idea where it was located.  As it turns out, the road leading into Braham also takes you right past Freedom Park.

Freedom Park is nestled between the railroad tracks and Route 107/Main St...so you can't miss it.  We quickly found parking and made our way through the various craft vendors to the main event.

But before we came across any actual pie, we were greeted by the vocal stylings of the Pie-Alluia chorus.  We missed their opening numbers, but happened upon them just in time for the finale:  Pie-elujah (which is how I think they should spell their name).  Pretty adorable.

I was all ready for pie, but it was 12:30 and my husband forced me to eat an actual lunch.  Seriously.  He's such a stinker and will never let me have pie for every single meal.  What is wrong with him?  Why was he raised with such backward ideas of meals??  Does he not realize pie can be eaten for breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, mid-day snack, dinner, dessert and pre-bedtime snack?  Blah.  

So we had some oregano chicken in a pita from the Gyro Vendor.  Delicious, but very messy, so no photographic evidence exists of this meal.  

And then we went to look at the old cars...

I lie.

We had pie!

Look at all that pie!  Gorgeous fruit pies!  No meringues or cream pies...I don't know why.  I was hoping for some graham cracker crusts, but they were all just pastry crusts.  That's okay...still good!

First round:

Raspberry Pear Pie, left, and Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, right.  I had the raspberry one and I got a bite of the strawberry...both were so good!

Then we made our way back through the craft vendors and found a lovely secluded park, where I sat and nursed the baby.  And you know, that's really hard work, so we went back to the pie tent and got another slice each.  This time, I was served by a Pie Princess:

(I'm convinced that all these little town festivals have royalty...)

Round Two:

Pear Ginger Pie, left, and Apple Pie, right.  I can't even begin to tell you how good that Pear Ginger pie was.  It had crystallized ginger bits throughout!  Tastebud tingle time!  Oh, and I also tried the apple.  I am not a big fan of apple pie.  What?  I know, it's true, and so un-American of me. 

So that was pretty much it for Pie Day.  We didn't see the pie craft show, but we did buy a jar of strawberry-rhubarb jam on our return trip through the craft vendors.  The pie tent was out of take-home pies when we went up for Round Two, so that was a bummer, but the Girl Scouts were selling cookies!  Hello!  Samoas!  And cheap...$3.00.  Is that the normal price?  I feel like GS cookies are up to $7.50 a box these days, plus tax.  I swear.

Anyway, we have declared Pie Day to be an annual tradition.  Braham, we'll be back next year!