What makes a pie?
The Adair Park neighborhood says it’s anything with a crust. That includes quiches, pizza pies, tarts, galettes, hand pies, slab pies, custard pies — the list goes on and on. This year’s Porches and Pies Festival invites Georgians to revel in every flaky, crusty, creamy variation.
On Saturday, Sept. 9, the southwest Atlanta neighborhood of Adair Park will host its ninth Porches and Pies Festival featuring around 40 pie flavors, according to festival chairperson Sarah Lawson. From noon to 5 p.m., attendees can experience their own little slice of pie heaven while surrounded by the historic Adair Park porches.
While the festival doesn’t actually take place on one of those porches, the Historic Adair Park will serve as the “communal front porch,” Lawson said. Competitors will set up tables and tents to show off their pie creations.
“It very much mimics the ‘hang out on the porch and have some appetizers or some drinks,’” she said. “It creates a very similar vibe with people kind of meandering from table to table in the park.”
Credit: Courtesy of Chil & Co. for MET Atlanta
Credit: Courtesy of Chil & Co. for MET Atlanta
Adair Park Today Inc., a nonprofit that represents and supports the neighborhood and its residents, wanted to create a special event for the community, a way to “celebrate that unique spirit of the neighborhood,” Lawson said. When they noticed that a few neighbors were already holding an informal pie contest on their porches, they decided to scale up the event.
It’s grown into what it is now; a full-fledged festival that begins with a pie bake-off that boasts a day of live music, tasty morsels, boozy drinks and neighborly bonding. All of the proceeds from the festival go toward supporting Adair Park Today Inc., a community-led nonprofit that works to unify, restore and maintain the neighborhood, according to its website.
“Food is a way to bring people together, and that’s how we socialize in our neighborhood,” Lawson said.
Credit: Courtesy of Lillie Weeks @laklustr
Credit: Courtesy of Lillie Weeks @laklustr
Home bakers and professional chefs may enter a sweet or savory pie into the contest, and every pie flavor is registered as a separate entry. At around 3 p.m., the judges will announce two home baker winners and two professional winners from the sweet and savory categories as well as a People’s Choice decided by attendees.
This year, Lawson said about three quarters of the entries are from home bakers. Some pie flavors for this year are salted honey, Meyer lemon and a mushroom and leek pie, she said.
“Some of the flavors I’m not even sure what it would be, and I can’t wait to see it manifest in real life,” she said.
One festival attendee, Sarah McHargue, lives in the adjacent Pittsburgh neighborhood. She’s something of a pie champion after winning the People’s Choice award both times she’s entered. Because of her two for two record, she’ll be one of the judges this year.
“I want a pie that can stand out,” she said. “Something that’s different, something that’s unusual.”
McHargue’s strategy was to make her pies memorable; her first win was a butterscotch curry pie, which had a sweet, creamy butterscotch filling and a savory curry crust. Her second win was a rosemary and pine nut toffee tart topped with orange-tinted whipped cream to remind people of the outdoors.
Credit: Courtesy of Sarah McHargue
Credit: Courtesy of Sarah McHargue
In addition to the pie-licious main attraction, there will be food trucks parked throughout the day, a high school marching band to kick off the festival, a community market with around 35 vendors, live music and face painting. There will also be adult beverages, including beer from Monday Night Brewing, UrbanTree Cidery and canned cocktails from Atlanta-based Post Meridiem Spirits Co.
At around 4:30 p.m., the festival will close with a pie fight. All are welcome to throw a pan of whipped cream when the whistle blows.
While there will be ample pies to taste, Lawson recommends arriving early as they will run out as the afternoon progresses, but for those who can’t make it until later, the festival will be selling mini pies from professional bakers.
“We want to just kind of spread the love,” Lawson said. “Share who we are and how we like to hang out and invite other people in to be a neighbor for the day.”
If you go
Porches & Pies Festival
Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9. Historic Adair Park. 742 Catherine St. SW. Free entry, $10 tasting pass to sample 10 pies, available for purchase online and on site. porchesandpies.com, events@adairpark.com.
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