A crowd of 7,000 fans whoop it up at Saturday’s Maine Whoopie Pie Festival

DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Center Theatre and lead sponsor Shaw’s Supermarket announced that 7,000 people attended the 2018 Maine Whoopie Pie Festival on Saturday, June 23. The festival brings bakers from around the state together with artists, crafters, and vendors to celebrate the whoopie pie, Maine’s Official State Treat.

Patrick Myers, the festival organizer, was happy with the day, “We rearranged things this year to put the bakers in the center of all the action, where they should be. It worked very well, with shorter lines and more opportunities for people to get to the whoopie pies.”

At the festival, the bakers submit whoopie pies to the official festival judges. The winners this year were Best Flavored Whoopie Pie: a tie for first place with Shaw’s Supermarkets for Cream Cheese Devil and Grant’s Bakery for Thin Mind and second place Grey Goose Gourmet for Blueberry Lemon with Cream Cheese and “Hot” Pepper Jelly.

Best Traditional Whoopie Pie: first place To The Queen’s Taste, second place Sweetie Pies and third place Whoopie Pie Cafe.

Best New Baker at the festival was first place To The Queen’s Taste, second place Mrs. C’s and third place Maine-ly Whoopies.

The Healthy Whoopie Prize was first place Sweetie Pies for Bikini Chocolate Zucchini, second place Maine-ly Whoopies for Belfast Banana and third place All Purpose Bakery for Gluten Free Cookie Dough.

The Most Creative Whoopie Pie Name was first place Sweetie Pies for Bikini Chocolate Zucchini, second place Elaine’s Basket Cafe for Moxie Moron and third place Maine-ly Whoopies for Dover Dutch.

The Yankee Whoopie Prize, given to the best tasting Whoopie Pie that focused on Yankee ingredients (molasses, blueberries, apples, maple and Moxie) was won by the Whoopie Pie Cafe for the DownEastah.

The first place in the highly coveted People’s Choice Awards was won by Mrs. C’s, with second place won by Sweetie Pies and third place by Governor’s Restaurant.

The festival also has three whoopie pie eating contests. The winners of the contests were Tyler Wing from Guilford in the 12 and under category, Xavier Cyr from Greenbush in the teen category and Mark Heffner from Gastonia, N.C. in the adult category.

Myers also wanted to thank the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce as well as the festival volunteers and the large group of committed sponsors. The lead sponsor for the festival was Shaw’s Supermarket, which brought 5,000 whoopie pies and big team of enthusiastic workers.

“The annual Whoopie Pie Festival is a fantastic community event and Shaw’s was proud to participate and be the lead sponsor this year,” said Alan Martel, Shaw’s district manager. “Shaw’s employees from across the state of Maine came together and prepared thousands of whoopie pies for the event with the goal of helping the Center Theatre in Dover-Foxcroft and their mission to make the arts part of the life in the community.”

Other sponsors include Maine’s Credit Unions, Dave’s World and U.S. Cellular, Varney Insurance Agency, Townsquare Media/Z107.3 and Bangor Savings Bank.

Myers said there are also many local businesses involved, “Several other businesses have stepped up in a big way to support the festival. Will’s Shop ‘n Save, Freedom House Bed and Breakfast, Rowell’s Garage were all instrumental to making the festival a success. As were All Purpose Bakers, Berg Activewear, Dover True Value Hardware, Cavanagh Law Office, Howard Insurance, Pat’s Pizza of Dover-Foxcroft and Mallett Real Estate.”

Next year’s festival, which will be the festival’s 10th anniversary, is scheduled for Saturday, June 22, 2019. Proceeds from the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival benefit the Center Theatre in Dover-Foxcroft and its mission to make the arts a part of life in the community by providing affordable arts, culture, entertainment and education. The festival also benefits countless other local businesses and organizations.

For more information on the Center Theatre, visit www.centertheatre.org and for information on the festival visit www.MaineWhoopiePieFestival.com.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
THE GOAL IS TO RUSH THROUGH A WHOOPIE PIE — Youth tried not to savor the flavor in the age 12 and under whoopie pie eating contest on June 23 during the 2018 Maine Whoopie Festival in downtown Dover-Foxcroft. Tyler Wing of Guilford finished his half of traditional flavored whoopie the fastest to earn the title of youth whoopie pie eating champion. The 10th annual Maine Whoopie Pie Festival drew 7,000 to Dover-Foxcroft to celebrate Maine’s Official State Treat, with proceeds benefiting the Center Theatre. For more from Saturday’s event, please see page 10.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
LET’S GET READY TO NIBBLE! — Competitors in the youth whoopie pie eating contest listen to instructions from event official Derek Carroll prior to the competition as part of the 2018 Maine Whoopie Pie Festival on June 23 in downtown Dover-Foxcroft. Tyler Wing of Guilford would eat his half the fastest to earn top honors and Xavier Cyr from Greenbush in the teen category and Mark Heffner from Gastonia, N.C. in the adult category would also earn whoopie pie bragging rights.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
GET YOUR HANDS UP — Before digging into their whoopie pies, entrants in the youth eating contest needed to all put their hands into the air prior to being given the go-ahead to start eating. A crowd of 7,000 passed through the gates on Saturday during the 10th annual Maine Whoopie Pie Festival.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
CLOSED TO ALL BUT WHOOPIE PIE FOOT TRAFFIC — Portions of East Main and Pleasant streets in Dover-Foxcroft were closed for the 2018 Maine Whoopie Pie Festival. Plans are underway for the 2019 event set for Saturday, June 22, 2019.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
IT’S MAGIC — Magician Conjuring Carroll Chapman entertained at the Varney Kid’s Zone again in 2018 at the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival.

Photo courtesy of Dylan Bruce, Forge Media Co.
THE PEOPLE LOOK LIKE MINIATURE WHOOPIE PIES — The Maine Whoopie Pie Festival in Dover-Foxcroft drew 7,000 fans to celebrate the taste of Maine’s Official State Treat. Next year’s festival will be Saturday, June 22, 2019, and the event will mark the 10th anniversary of the festival