CENTERBURG — Pies — apple, cherry, custard, black raspberry, lemon, mincemeat, peach, pecan and pumpkin — were all up for grabs Saturday at the 2010 Centerburg Oldtime Farming Festival. They were all generously donated by individuals and businesses in support of the festival honoring the area’s agricultural heritage. There was even a chicken pot pie prepared by personnel from the Centerburg Post Office.
The sweet desserts, an appetizing main dish, were not the only items the successful bidders took home. Many of the pies came in beautiful fall displays and fancy serving dishes. Basket contents included potholders, The Ohio State University memorabilia and patriotic items. One pie came with Beatles music and a pie safe went along with another. Wagons, a side table and even an ice cream maker were other “extras” to entice bidders.
Auctioneer Sam McQueen wheedled, coaxed and cajoled those in the audience to bid doggedly on the items, and succeeded in getting a high bid of $1,150 for a lemon pie and its accompanying hall table. Other prices for pies ranged from $175 to $300 to $700. The 24 pies together raised $9,800 for festival expenses.
Pewter plaques were presented to the top three purchasers, who, incidentally, bought more than one pie each. Teresa Vaughn of Clearwater Pools donated the most to the festival, with bids totaling $1,900. Joe Myers was next with $1,200, and Karen McCracken, bidding in honor of her mother Kathleen McCracken, was third with $900.
The pie auction was preceded by the fancy footwork of the Buckeye Country Cloggers and the country music of Stacy Smith. It was followed by the sounds of the Halfway Home band.
Winners of the youth cookie baking contest were also announced Saturday. They are as follows.
•Kindergarten through grade four: Tyler Houck, first place; MaKenzie Fields, second place; and Ethan Kent, third place.
•Grades five through eight: Zoe Compton, first place; Courtney Melick, second place; and Sarah Flowers, third place.
•Grades nine through 12: Kara Nonnemacher, first place; Shelby Wade, second place; and Erin Nonnemacher, third place. The first-place winning cookies in each division were auctioned off and brought in a total of $115. More details of the prize-winning recipes will be available on the food page of Wednesday’s edition of the News.
