Blackberry pies sell out early at Joyce Daze festival

JOYCE — Homemade blackberry pies sold out early Saturday at the 2016 Joyce Daze Wild Blackberry Festival.

“We made 230 pies [Friday], and we sold them all out by 2:15 p.m.” Saturday, said Tracey Grover, who coordinated the baking and sale of fresh pies to the public during the festival based on the small, sweet blackberries that abound in the Joyce area.

The festival also offered a pancake breakfast, about 60 vendor booths, demonstrations and live entertainment, as well as plenty of fresh homemade pies.

In addition to the pies for sale, bakers competed in a pie contest, and five out of the six top three finishers in the youth and adult pie contests hailed from the small community.

“We had 28 pie entries — 17 adult and 11 youth,” said Deborah Moriarty, festival media relations manager, Saturday afternoon.

“We were overwhelmed. It was wonderful.”

In the adult category, Linda Dechant won first place, Joan Rogers took second and Katy Thompson third, Moriarty said. All live in Joyce.

In the youth category, Lily Robertson, 8, won first place; Chloe Corey, 11, took second; and Lauren Stephens, 10, took third, Moriarty said. Lily and Chloe live in Joyce, while Lauren is from Portland, Ore., and in town to visit her grandmother, who lives in Joyce.

Pie judges were Peninsula Daily News Publisher Terry Ward, Doreen Northup of KONP Radio and Roxanne Olsen, owner of Blackberry Cafe in Joyce.

“Every pie is delicious, and they have to choose the top three pies, which is quite a challenge,” Moriarty said.

In addition to bragging rights, the first-place winners won $50 in Downtown Dollars from the PDN.

Downtown Dollars are gift certificate-type checks accepted by participating shops and restaurants in the downtown Port Angeles area, according to the Port Angeles Downtown Association.

Downtown Dollars are good for purchasing anything at participating merchants’ shops.

Joyce Daze was well-attended this year, said John Kent, festival committee chairman.

“I’d say for the whole event, well over 1,000 people” participated in Joyce Daze, he said.

“We had our parking lots full.”

It appears there were more visitors this year than last, Kent said, adding that the weather held out for most of the day.

“It is a little cloudy out here, but the wind hasn’t picked up and there is no rain,” he said late in the afternoon.

“It is holding out real good. Everyone is happy and everyone has been complimenting me on the good show we’ve put on.”

All those visitors came hungry for fresh blackberry pie, Grover said.

The line for buying pies was at least 50 feet long throughout the day, Grover said.

“It was at least that long when we filled out a sign to say, ‘sorry sold out,’ ” she said.

“There were some bummed-out people, but we made 50 more than we did last year.”

Those who did not get a pie will have to wait one more year for another chance.

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Features Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or at cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.