Morgan Sailer, 10, shows off the lattice-top apple pie she entered in the Deale Area Historical Society’s Pie Contest on Saturday. Photo by Mitchelle Stephenson.
The Deale Area Historical Society held a pie contest on Saturday at Greenstreet Gardens in Lothian. Nearly three dozen pies were entered, split between youth and adult categories.
Some of the pies included: apple, pumpkin cheesecake, blackberry cloud, blueberry, cherry custard, chocolate and more.
It cost $5 to enter a pie in the contest, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the DAHS. Once the judges tasted the pies and made their decisions, pieces of the pie were sold to passers-by at $1 a slice.
This was the third year for the contest.
Chef John Kozik, of Skipper's Pier in Deale, was the official judge, although he had assistance from Jerry Rodriguez, who works at Greenstreet Gardens.
"I like anything sweet. We judge on flavor and crust, but not a lot on presentation because sometimes the messier the better," John said.
The winners received gift certificates to area establishments, including the Deale Hardware Store, Skipper's Pier and Greenstreet Gardens.
First place went to Patricia Barr for her Pennsylvania Dutch Cream Pie.
"I found the recipe online," Patricia said. "I like to bake. Last year I entered a chocolate peanut butter pie that didn't win. I'm so excited to have won this year," she said.
Every person who entered a pie gained free entry into the corn maze at Greenstreet Gardens, just up the hill from the main greenhouse.
This year the maze is in the shape of three characters from the "The Wizard of Oz": the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion. Non-pie baking visitors who buy a ticket to the maze get a free hay ride up the hill to the starting point, where there are activities for the kids, including a large box filled with corn.
It is almost like a ball pit, with adults and kids diving in and rolling around. There is also a 40-foot enclosed slide, a climbing structure that looks like a pirate ship, and a pumpkin patch. They have face and hair painting on site.
Owner Ray Greenstreet explained how, exactly, they go about making the corn maze: First, they plant the corn later in the season so that it will be green and not brown during the time of the fall festival. Next, they have a company come in with a backpack mounted GPS that tells the cutters where to cut.
"We cut the corn when it first comes up, allowing the remaining corn to grow straight and strong," Ray said.
In addition, the maze is made from sterile corn, so that it won't attract animals. When the maze is done on Nov. 1, they simply mow it down.
The Greenstreet Gardens fall festival runs every weekend, weather permitting, through Nov. 1, and on days when either Calvert or Anne Arundel county schools are closed. The company also hosts field trips for local schools, which includes a curriculum about Maryland agriculture.
Of course they have pumpkins, corn stalks and gourds available for sale. For more information, visit: www.greenstreetgardens.com.
Other ongoing fall festivals include:
The 90-acre Knightongale Farm at the corner of Birdsville Road and Route 2 in Harwood is hosting fall festivities each weekend through Halloween. The festivities are open Saturdays and Sundays only, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting.
The farm boasts a "u-pick" pumpkin patch, a corn maze, pony rides, John Deere pedal tractors, hay rides and sales of straw bales, gourds and Indian corn.
In addition, they have farm animals on site for the kids to observe including calves, goats, guinea pigs, rabbits and chickens. Look for the giant spiders made of hay bales at the corner of the property on the northwestern side of the intersection.
Homestead Gardens, at 743 Central Ave. in Davidsonville, hosts its annual fall festival, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 25. Activities for kids include pony rides, hay rides, pumpkin painting, muffin mania and more. In addition, food is available for purchase on site, including burgers, hot dogs, popcorn and fall favorites like apple butter, apple pies and cider.
Homestead Gardens and the SPCA will hold an adoption center from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday with music by The Mudbloods also starting at noon.
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