A host of community figures evaluated each pie’s crust, filling, flavor, and overall presentation
By Barbara Burke
Special to The Malibu Times
Malibu’s 32nd Annual Pie Festival delighted attendees as they gathered on Oct. 21 at Malibu United Methodist Church. Smiling guests mixed and mingled, enjoying the convivial camaraderie on a gorgeous autumn day.
“This event is quintessential Malibu. It’s hometown stuff!” said Heidi Bernard, gazing around appreciatively as the sizeable crowd perused items on show at a silent auction, and visited booths sporting merchandise celebrating the festival and craft tables. They also enjoyed Mexican food cooked by Rosa and Juan Gurrola and their son, Juan Jr., and brats and hotdogs cooked by parishioner Micah Johnson, who manned the grill. Attendees also enjoyed bands and exhibition events on the stage, and of course, pies, pies, pies!
“All the proceeds for the festival will help the church’s outreach programs as well as its twice-weekly community dinners for the homeless,” Church Pastor Rev. Erin Stenberg said.
Musical guests included the Malibu High School and Malibu Middle School combined choir; Devon Meyers, who performed a series of songs from his “Dreamy, celebratory Americana”; and Ukamusic featuring Naomi Louise Warner and Gabe Diebel on acoustic guitar and vocals.
“Our group, Uka Music, @zumasongcatchers, celebrates Malibu as a Phoenix emerging from the flame,” said Warner, who founded the band. “We started the band after the Woolsey Fire and our mission is to help people heal themselves through interacting with the Earth, music, other treatment modalities, and of course, through eating pies today!”
U.S. 99 Blues & Rock Band performed old favorites, delighting onlookers who sang along, harkening back to simpler times.
“This is awesome for the community to gather,” exclaimed Aron Marderosian, adding, “My most important job today was to get my friend Kim Retts here so she could help judge the category of pies baked by kids from 9 to 14!”
Visitors wandered in, joining in the fun and finding Malibuites very welcoming.
“We just stumbled upon the pie festival,” said Pam Coats of Sherman Oaks, who visits Malibu’s beaches regularly. “Everyone’s super nice here!”
Attendees attentively watched as Rick Meltzer’s students competed in the Hawaiian Kempo style of martial arts, which incorporates a mixture of jiu jitsu and karate.
“That’s Sharine Meltzer, the first female black belt promoted from Malibu Martial Arts and Fitness,” Meltzer announced proudly, beaming widely as he celebrated the accomplishment of his spouse, who is a preschool teacher at the church.
Volunteers scuttled about cutting, arranging, and serving pies.
“I think it’s amazing that all the people come together here, whether they worship at this church or not,” Londyn Johnson, a Pepperdine Ambassador volunteer said. “It is really touching to see many people from the community together, especially after the tragic accident that killed four Pepperdine students and we Ambassadors coming from a campus that has been solemn for all students, even if they didn’t know the victims.”
Johnson was finding healing salve in the attendees’ sheer joy as they indulged in pie.
Grinning ear to ear, MHS sophomore Nick Ortiz critiqued the pie he had carefully selected.
“It’s a delicious cream pie that has a great crust and it reminds me of a s’more,” Ortiz said admiringly. “It has an awesome graham cracker crust, chocolate, marshmallow, and walnuts. “
There were so many pies! Apple pies, other fruit pies, chocolate pies, seasonal pies, meringue pies, savory pies, and cream pies, as well as special children’s categories for pies submitted by kids 8 and younger and contestants ranging from ages 9-14.
Someone had to win the honor of having the best pie in each category. The 22 judges were delighted to oblige!
A host of elected officials, community volunteers, board members who volunteer with various community organizations, and physicians and veterinarians all evaluated each pie’s crust, filling, flavor, and overall presentation.
In the end, Linda Pingatori won first place in the apple category with her entry, Golden Opal Apple Custard. Susan Johnson Fox’s Thanksgiving Feast pie took second place, and Beth Milliken’s Croton Falls Apple Pie took home the bronze in that category.
Alex Bodrero’s Cranberry Orange Pie placed first in the fruit pie category, while Jeremy Walker’s Sweet and Sour Spiral Pie placed second and Beth Milliken’s Blueberry Ginger Pie placed third.
Pecan with a Twist brought home the gold for Fox in the cream pie category, while Patti Scroggins’ chocolate cream pie placed second and Pingatori’s chocolate fudge pie placed third.
In the seasonal pie category, Heidi Amundson’s mushroom bacon tart with gruyere hit a home run, placing first, while Milliken’s butterscotch pumpkin pie placed second, and Teri Sturges’ pecan pie took third place.
For the meringue pies, Scroggins’ coconut cream pie won first place and Pingatori’s Meyer lemon pie placed second. Third place remained unclaimed.
Malibu Methodist Preschool Teacher Cheryl McDonald’s class of 4 to 5-year-olds won the pumpkin cookie drop pie for the littles, while Molly Regan took both first and third places for competitors vying in the ages 9 to 14 category. Bennett Shurgot and Lucas Doyle proved to be a dream team, claiming second place for their Campfire Pie.
It’s not a pie festival without a pie-eating contest and competitors obliged, delighting onlookers who cheered for their favorite contest. In the end, Ortiz won handily.
Attendees slowly filed out of the event, rubbing their bellies and looking forward to a lazy afternoon nap during which they no doubt began one of many dreams they’ll have as they await next year’s pie festival.