"You Are the Apple of My Pie"

"Bigger and Better" Are the Expectations For the 7th Annual Bucktown Apple Pie Contest

CHICAGO, Aug. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --Believed to be the largest competition devoted solely to celebrating apple pie, the 7th Annual Bucktown Apple Pie Contest will see more than 170 amateur and professional bakers battle it out for culinary supremacy and bragging rights on Sunday, October 16, 2011. New this year will be a professional division, where 25 restaurants will compete to determine who bakes the best apple pie in the city.

As always, entries will be judged by a select panel of celebrities and foodies for the coveted blue ribbon. This year's judges include Jennifer Olvera, author of Food Lover's Guide to Chicago; Malika Ameen, owner of ByMDesserts and former Top Chef: Just Desserts contestant; Chris Tong, owner of My Private Chef, and ABC 7's "Hungry Hound" Steve Dolinsky.

This year's event sees a new group of organizers committed to making a great event even better. Committee member, and former contestant, Beth Allen Tiernan is thrilled to bring the new component to the event: "Let's call this a friendly battle of professional pastry chefs and local restaurateurs. The cornerstone of the event remains food-loving amateurs baking and competing for a prize pie. Bringing on the new professional division keeps us fresh, current, and growing - and that's what life, and fundraisers, are all about!"

A fundraiser organized by the Friends of Holstein Park, the Bucktown Apple Pie Festival started in 2005 with 50 bakers and raised $1,800.  This year's event is expected to draw close to 2000 Chicagoans eager to taste the results, with the goal of raising $15,000 for park improvements, safety, and community-building initiatives. Contestants can pride themselves on the fact that their hard work will benefit a jewel of the Chicago Park District. According to Ms. Tiernan: "Three years ago, I found out Holstein Park was having a fundraiser for the restoration of the building. It happened to include a passion of mine: baking. I entered as a contestant and have never looked back. The whole experience from the creativity of drumming up my secret recipe to sharing the day with the people in the park was fantastic. Food, music and people smiling; they all go together."

Admission is free, and non-bakers can put their own taste buds up against the judges' by purchasing slices of the entries.  The day is about Chicago families and residents coming together to enjoy a beautiful park, a beautiful fall day, and a lot of beautiful apple pies. According to Michelle Pennington, President of the Friends of Holstein Park, "The event has become a fall favorite and we encourage everyone to come out, sample some pie, listen to some great music, and enjoy the children's activities. Enjoy all the Bucktown community has to offer on October 16th."

The entry fee for amateur contestants is $20, and they are required to bring 2 pies.

About Friends of Holstein Park Friends of Holstein Park is a not-for-profit Advisory Council established in 2003 to improve, preserve and protect the functionality, safety and atmosphere of Holstein Park and Senior Citizens Park, making it a wonderful environment to play and learn.  Please visit friendsofholsteinpark.com for more information.  

The Bucktown Apple Pie Contest Information

Holstein Park at 2200 N. Oakley Avenue in Chicago

Sunday, October 16, 2010, from 2:00-5:00 p.m.

Admission to the event is free

Please visit www.bucktownapplepiecontest.com for further information

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SOURCE Friends of Holstein Park