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Bucktown Apple Pie Contest Has 18 Slots Left for Bakers

By Alisa Hauser | September 15, 2016 9:41am
 A Bucktown Apple Pie contest volunteer shows off a soon-to-be-sampled pie at a previous year's competition.
The 9th annual contest is scheduled for 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday in Holstein Park.
A Bucktown Apple Pie contest volunteer shows off a soon-to-be-sampled pie at a previous year's competition. The 9th annual contest is scheduled for 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday in Holstein Park.
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DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser

BUCKTOWN — Got a delicious apple pie recipe?

The Bucktown Apple Pie Contest — limited to just 80 contestants as compared to 125 in previous years — is headed to Holstein Park next month and seeking bakers to make the park's largest fundraiser a success.

Scheduled for 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 2., the 11th annual contest hopes to draw 2,000 people to the field house in Holstein Park at 2200 N. Oakley Ave. in Bucktown.

Celebrity judges from locally-owned pastry hotspots Bake, The Bristol, Red Door, Cheap Tart and Black Dog Gelato will rate the pies.

Maria Mariottini, president of Friends of Holstein Park, which organizes the contest, said that as of Thursday there are 18 slots left for bakers, who pay a $40 tax deductible registration fee.

Those interested in battling it out for bragging rights (and a blue first place ribbon) can register online here.

Pies baked by contestants and former past winners of the contest will be sold by the slice as part of the fundraiser.

"We are really limiting it this year and will have less pies, which will raise the likelihood you will win and adds a little intention into the whole thing, plus makes it more manageable," Mariottini said.

Contestants are required to bring two identical pies, which will be sliced up and sold, according to contest rules.

Proceeds from the event, the largest fundraiser of the year for Friends of Holstein Park — a nonprofit Chicago Park District advisory group — will benefit artistic and sports programming in the field house, such as supplying art supplies and sports equipment to classes held in the park's field house.

Mariottini said the nonprofit group recently bought a window air conditioner unit for one of the rooms in the field house.

This contest theme is "Occu-Pie Bucktown, Join the Movement!" and features a politically-inspired red, white and blue poster because this year is an election year, Mariottini said.

The Bucktown Apple Pie Contest started in 2004 with 50 bakers and raised $1,800. In the past two contests, the event brought in about $9,000.

Last year, the contest was canceled due to anticipated field house renovations and construction.

Further information can be found on the contest's website, Facebook page, or on Twitter @ApplePieContest.

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