Malibu United Methodist Church held its much anticipated 25th annual Malibu Pie Festival on Saturday, one of the largest yet. Over 70 pies were submitted in a wide variety of categories such as chocolate, apple, fruit, seasonal, meringue/cream savory and even gluten-free. The festival included entertainment, childrens activities, a silent auction, fare from Homeboy Industry Food Truck and two pie-eating contests. The church’s pie festival is not only a pie contest, but a community event that draws people together as families bake pies and share their family recipes with the community. Domenica Schiro, who entered both apple pie and amaretto cheesecake, said she’d been baking her apple pie for 60 years.
Contest judges Mary Abbott, Linda Meadows and City Councilman Lou La Monte begin to sample and score pies for the 25th Annual Malibu Pie Contest.
Seven-year-old Turner Principe worked hard to create his chocolate cream “Guardians of Galaxy” pie, decorated with treasures from the sea.
Pie contest judges Sophie Williamson, Claire Williamson, Abby O’Bryan, Sabrina Carey, Shane Carey and Olivia Williamson (front), get ready to judge the youth pie category.
Suzanne Zimmer hands “Zimmer Family Orchard Organic Pie” to Jody Gabbard for judging. Zimmer won first place in the apple pie category.
First-place winner Domenica Schiro entered two pies in this year’s contest, apple pie and amaretto cheesecake, winning for the latter.