Over 8,000 attend local Whoopie Pie Festival

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
TABLE MANNERS NOT REQUIRED — Entrants in the youth whoopie pie eating contest see who can finish their treats the fastest during the 2016 Maine Whoopie Pie Festival on Saturday, June 25 in downtown Dover-Foxcroft. The eighth annual festival, which this year featured a new setup with bakers on Pleasant Street and vendors along East Main Street, drew over 8,000 to town to celebrate Maine’s Official State Treat.

Revelry abounds with Whoopie Pie feasting

By Sheila Grant
Special to the Observer

DOVER-FOXCROFT — The heart of downtown was closed to vehicular traffic on Saturday, June 25 as more than 8,000 people explored booths and displays at the 2016 Maine Whoopie Pie Festival in Dover-Foxcroft. The festival — which took place for the eighth time — attracts bakers from around the state together with artists, crafters and vendors to celebrate the whoopie pie, Maine’s official state treat.

Patrick Myers, coordinator of the festival, said he was thrilled with the day. “The weather and the crowds were both wonderful,” he said. “Everyone had a great time and we couldn’t be happier to show off our community to so many people.”

The Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce and Executive Director Denise Buzzelli also play a large part in making the festival a success. This year the festival went later into the evening with a street dance going until 8. Sharon Hood and Dixon Road performed, playing “a wide variety of music that got the audience moving and dancing downtown,” Myers said.

Each year, bakers are judged on several categories by the official festival judges, while festival attendees vote for their favorite by purchasing samples with a special “gold” token. The winners this year were:

Best Flavored Whoopie Pie: first place, Cake Concoctions for lemon blueberry; second, RH Foster for pumpkin with cream cheese filling; and third, Goulette’s IGA for lemon with blueberry filling.

Best Traditional: first, Dover-Foxcroft United Methodist Church; second, Goulette’s IGA; and third, The Frisky Whisk.

Best New Baker: first, G&M Family Market for maple bacon; second, All Purpose Bakery for gluten free with Reese’s Peanut Butter frosting; and third, Cake Concoctions for chocolate raspberry.

The Most Creative Whoopie Pie Name was “Wake Up & Make Whoopie” by Cake Concoctions.

The Yankee Whoopie Prize, given to the best tasting whoopie pie that focused on Yankee ingredients (molasses, blueberries, apples, maple and/or Moxie) went to Elaine’s Basket Café for the Maniac Blast whoopie pie.

The highly coveted People’s Choice award went to the Whoopie Pie Café in Bangor, with Governor’s of Bangor winning second place and RH Foster coming in third.

The festival also features three whoopie pie eating contests. The winners of the contests were Wynn (no last name given) from Bucksport in the 12 and under category, Kyle Winchenbach from Wiscasset in the teen category and John Hollinger, from Edmonton, Alberta in the adult category.

“We are very grateful for all of the volunteers and our large group of committed sponsors for making the festival possible,” said Myers. Lead sponsors of the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival include Bangor Savings Bank, Dave’s World and U.S. Cellular, the Bangor Daily News and Townsquare Media/Z107.3. The downtown sponsor was Maine’s Credit Union League. Myers said there are also many local businesses involved.

“Several other businesses have stepped up in a big way to support the festival,” he said. “Will’s Shop ‘n Save supplied whoopie pies and milk for the whoopie pie eating contest and Varney Insurance Agency hosted the Varney Agency Kid’s Zone. There is also a long list of local businesses who sponsor the festival, including Foxcroft Printers/AMB Signs, Berg Activewear, Dover-Foxcroft Chiropractic Center, Dover True Value Hardware, Cavanagh Law Office, Howard Insurance, Pat’s Pizza of Dover-Foxcroft, Mallett Real Estate and True Textiles.”

Proceeds from the festival benefit the Centre Theater, a nonprofit performing arts center dedicated to making the arts a part of life in the Maine Highlands. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Center Theatre reopening its doors to produce affordable entertainment, arts and education.

Next year’s Maine Whoopie Pie Festival is already in the works, slated for June 24. For more information on the Center Theatre visit www.centertheatre.org, and for information on the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival visit www.MaineWhoopiePieFestival.com.

Photo courtesy of Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce
2016 MAINE WHOOPIE PIE FESTIVAL — Bakers, artisans and other vendors, as well as thousands of people eager to sample all that the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival had to offer, filled downtown Dover-Foxcroft on Saturday for the eighth annual Maine Whoopie Pie Festival. Plans are now underway for the 2017 event, set for Saturday, June 24.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
PLAYING TO THE CROWD — Sharon Hood and Dixon Road perform on the Dave’s World/US Cellular Music Stage at the 2016 Maine Whoopie Pie Festival.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
STUFFING THEMSELVES — Competitors in the teen whoopie pie eating contest see who can consume the most whoopie pies on Saturday afternoon at Union Square in Dover-Foxcroft. Kyle Winchenbach of Wiscasset earned first-place honors.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
FRIENDS OF SWEETIE PIE — In addition to official Maine Whoopie Pie Festival mascot Sweetie Pie roaming downtown Dover-Foxcroft, attendees also had the opportunity to meet “Jumpy the Coffee Bean” from the Center Coffee House, who was accompanied by Eli Sharrow, as well as “Carrot.” The vegetable mascot promoted the Dover Cove Farmers’ Market and met diners at the season’s first youth free summer lunch session the day before at the SeDoMoCha School.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? — Magician Conjuring Carroll Chapman makes a ribbon appear out of the handkerchief hat with the help of a young assistant. For a number of years Chapman has performed at the Varney Agency Kid’s Zone on East Main Street.