JOYCE — People come for the pie.
The 2023 Joyce Daze Wild Blackberry Festival is Saturday, and the whole town — which is on state Highway 112 about 14 miles west of Port Angeles — celebrates the small but sweet wild blackberries that grow in the area.
This will be the 40th anniversary of the event begun in 1983 by Jean Robertson. Then, it was known only as Joyce Daze. That first rendition had a Western pioneer theme and included mud wrestling and a greased pig contest, said Rae Leiper, publicity chair for the festival.
Berries were not part of the celebration.
It wasn’t until the sixth annual Joyce Daze in 1988 that wild blackberries took center stage with a pie baking contest.
That year also, the Lions’ Club began to bake its salmon dinners. The following year, an art show as added, along with a taxidermy show, blue grass music and belly dancers.
In 1990, Leonard Pierce won the ugliest man contest. Not connected but interesting — that same year Joyce Daze added Wild Blackberry to its name.
By 1993, attendees could purchase a slice of pie entered in the pie baking contest. In 2001, pie making and pie sales began.
Five volunteers made 140 pies to be sold for $3 a slice that year.
“It turned out to be a great fundraiser for community projects,” Leiper said. “So, from that year, the wild blackberries and slices of pie became the stars of the event.”
By 2012, the event had 68 vendor booths, more than 50 parade entrants and thousands of attendees.
The price of a slice of pie was still only $4 in 2014.
Royalty was an important part of Joyce Daze from the start in 1983 until 2014. The community still selects a local dignitary to serve as Grand Marshal each year. Grand Pioneers are selected from those who have lived in the area for decades and are part of the founding of the Joyce area community.
Events have been added or discontinued through the years.
“One thing that has been a constant is that the festival is entirely produced by volunteers,” Leiper said.
“In fact, it takes more than 50 people who are willing to put in the time each year to produce the event,” she added.
It takes about 35 people two days to make more than 200 pies. They are sliced into sixths, which makes more than 1,200 slices of pie.
“We will be serving slices of pie topped with ice cream starting at 10 a.m. for as long as the slices last. It is $6 for a slice and $7 with ice cream added,” Leiper said.
“After the parade, if we have any pies left, it is possible to buy a whole pie. Proceeds go towards scholarships and community projects,” she added.
Highlights of this year’s festival also include children’s activities, vendors’ booths, demonstrations and live entertainment. The Joyce Fire Department will display fire engines for children to visit.
The annual event kicks off at 7 a.m. with a pancake breakfast at the Crescent Grange and lasts until 3:30 p.m. when the button drawing is finished.
The Grand Parade is at 1 p.m. Highway 112 is closed for the parade from 12:45 p.m. until about 2 p.m., when the parade ends. A detour will be in place around the back of Joyce General Store.
Entertainment begins at 10 a.m., with local bands featured throughout the day in front of the Joyce Museum. The entertainment is organized by Dave and Rosalie Secord of Luck of the Draw.
The Slug Races, a fundraiser for the fire department, are planned after the parade at the Family Kitchen.
To submit entries for the Wild Blackberry Pie Contest, drop off pies at the Joyce Museum between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Saturday at the tent next to the Joyce Depot. For complete rules, see https://joycedaze.org/pie-baking-contest.
Prizes, which have been donated by the Peninsula Daily News, are first- , second- and third-place ribbons in both adult and youth categories with gift cash cards of $100 for adult first place, $50 for adult second and third place, $50 for youth first place and $25 for youth second and third place.
For more information, see https://joycedaze.org.
