Specialty Food Events

Food choices will abound at the Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival. In addition to the vendors on the festival grounds, there will be food events and tents for the whole family to enjoy.

A traditional Spaghetti Dinner will be served both nights, August 9th and 10th. The dinner is the longest-lived event of the festival and is so big that it has its own tent. It will be served 4:30–8pm in the food court area, which is near the Beer Garden, so the two most popular food treats will be next to each other. (If you have any German heritage, you know that beer is considered a food for adults and is almost as necessary as bread.) The dinner benefits the Colorado Professional Firefighters Foundation, and two dozen volunteers from West Metro Fire Rescue will work in shifts to feed the crowds.

The Beer Garden, despite the name, will not be limited to beer and will offer a wide variety of beverages for the entire family. The Wheat Ridge Rotary Club has teamed up with Budweiser and Breckenridge Brewery to offer a great selection. This is the biggest major fundraising event for the Rotary Club each year. Funds raised at the festival will remain in the community by way of scholarships and funds for local non-profit organizations.

Another great Wheat Ridge tradition is the Pancake Breakfast held on Saturday morning before the Carnation Festival parade. The breakfast, 7-9:30 am, includes ham, eggs, pancakes, coffee and juice. There is no cost but a donation per person is always welcome and greatly appreciated. The breakfast is a chance to meet and greet neighbors at the Wheat Ridge Grange Hall. It is also the perfect time to view a fine historical building while filling up on carbs that will sustain you throughout the parade. Funds raised from the breakfast will help the Wheat Ridge Grange continue the exceptional work that it does with youth in the community.

To polish off the day, check out the Pie Competition. At the previous year's event, competitors ranged from 16 to 90 years of age and all the pies were sweet/fruit pies. This year, there will be two categories: 1) Dessert pie and 2) All-Colorado Dessert Pie, and extra judges have been invited to participate. To compete for the blue ribbon please fill out the application below. Bring pies to the food court main tent on Saturday, August 10th from 1:30-2:50 pm. The public is invited to bid on the pies after the judging is complete.

Pie Name*
Baker Name*
First Last
Email*
Phone*
Address*
Street Address City State Zip
Rules and Information
On Saturday in the Spaghetti Dinner Tent
Drop off pies: 1:30pm to 2:50pm
Judging starts: 3:00pm
Winners announced: 3:30pm
Pie slices for sale: 4:00pm

Prizes in each category
•1st place: $30, a handmade pie logo hotpads, and a 1st place ribbon
•2nd place: $15, a handmade pie logo hotpads, and a 2nd place ribbon
•3rd place: $5, a handmade pie logo hotpads, and a 3rd place ribbon

Entry fee
$5 per pie. Every entrant will receive a collectable pie contest sticker!

Categories
1.Dessert pie – any pie with a crust and a sweet filling
2.Colorado dessert pie – any pie with a crust and a sweet filling, showing off Colorado ingredients (fruit, butter, oil, flour) – please provide a list of the Colorado ingredients in the pie

Rules
1.Open to bakers of all ages
2.Pies must be round, 8-10” diameter, in a pie plate/pan with a cover
3.Pies must be made by hand, by the contestant entering the pie
4.Each contestant may enter up to 3 pies
5.No cream pies – it’s hot in August, and we don’t have a fridge in the tent
6.Each entry must include the name of the maker, the name of the pie, the recipe, and, for the Colorado dessert pie category, a list of Colorado ingredients

How to Enter
Register in advance at bit.ly/2022WRPieContestEntry
On Saturday August 12, between 1:30pm and 2:50pm, bring your pie to the contest at Anderson Park – look for signs to direct you, the contest booth is in the large tent where the spaghetti dinner is held.

Check / complete registration form, providing all required information, and acknowledging that your pie becomes the property of the Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival and will not be returned.

Provide your recipe on an index card or piece of paper, highlighting Colorado ingredients for the Colorado Dessert Pie category.
Get your official entry sticker and settle in to watch the judging.

Judging
Starts at 3pm, and all pies will be identified for judging by an anonymous number, ensuring confidentiality of the bakers. Judging area will be off limits to everyone but judges and Pie Contest volunteers. In the case of a tie, judges will break the tie and select a winner. The decision of the judges is final.

Pies will be assigned points by judges, in four areas:
1.Overall appearance 25 points
2.Crust (color, texture, doneness, flavor) 25 points
3.Filling (consistency, flavor) 25 points
4.Creativity 25 points

Pie Slice Sale
After the winners are presented at 3:30pm, we will slice pies for sale starting at 4pm. All slices will be $5 each. All entrance fees and pie slice collection will support the families of organ donors through the Lutheran Foundation's Spiritual Care Fund.
Prizes
• First Place Ribbon, $30
• Second Place Ribbon, $15
• Third Place Ribbon
Notes
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Email
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Name*
First Last
Email*
Phone*
Address*
Street Address City State Zip
I would like to enter:*
- a Red Chili
- a Green Chili
- Both Red & Green - 2 Chilis
Chili name(s) - optional
Questions
After you submit this form, you will be directed to the payment page to pay the entry fees. Entries without payment will not be processed. Proceeds will be donated to a local cause (TBD)
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Comments
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