The culture of pie is going to be re-invented for the 20th time at Braham Pie Day, a one-day festival on Friday, Aug. 7 in Braham, the "Homemade Pie Capital of Minnesota."

The community is located one hour north of the Twin Cities just off Highway 65. 

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Braham, MN -- The culture of pie is going to be re-invented for the 20th time at Braham Pie Day, a one-day festival on Friday, Aug. 7 in Braham, the "Homemade Pie Capital of Minnesota."

The community is located one hour north of the Twin Cities just off Highway 65.  This year, visitors can also come back to Braham for a Celebration of Praise on Saturday Aug. 8 at 6:30 p.m.

This day of family entertainment includes a small quilts show, crafters, a collectorís car show, an antique bicycle show, an art show, a pie trivia contest called "Pie in the Sky or Pie in Your Eye," an amateur pie-baking contest, two pie eating contests, and over 930 homemade pies. Children are invited to participate in the Kids 'N Berries children's art tent.

Pie has inspired members of the Braham community to write songs, odes, ballads, raps, plays, poems, make murals, videos, street puppets, flags and folk costumes.  Folks live by the motto, "You can't help but smile when you say 'pie.'"

Featured performers this year are the Meire Grove Band, Minnesota's most continuous and oldest band, blue grass band Siloa Creek, folk singer Heatherlyn, storyteller Rose Arrowsmith-DeCoux,  the Berry Fairy, Mr. Pastry, the Queen of Tarts, and the Pie-Alluia Chorus.

Princesses from neighboring towns come to Pie Day to help with the day's events.  Later this princess entered the pie eating contest, keeping her crown in place, and adding a substantial dose of chocolate cream pie and whipped cream  to her makeup.  (Photo by V. S. Arrowsmith)

For more information call 320-396-4956 or check out the web page to see photos from last year at www.pieday.com  A new place to learn more about Pie Day is at http://kstp.com.  Scroll down to the ìOn the roadî and then in the archives find, ìHow Sweet it is,î a program that featured Braham and its pies, produced by Jason Davis.

At the Pie Day stage in Freedom Park on Friday are: Siloa Creek, folk musician Heatherlyn of Minneapolis, the Meire Grove band, which is the longest continuous band in Minnesota, storyteller Rose Arrowsmith-DeCoux, and the Pie-Alluia Chorus with music and entertainment at this annual event on the first Friday in August.

Siloa Creek will perform bluegrass music at 10 a.m. and again at 4:15 p.m.  Heatherlyn sings folk music at 11 a.m.  Rose Arrowsmith-DeCoux will do a set for children and the young at heart at 1 p.m. and the Meire Grove band will perform at 1:30 p.m.

Amateur pie bakers are invited to bring their best hand crafted pies to the annual Braham Pie Day pie baking contest on Friday, Aug. 7.  Delivery times are 8 to 10 a.m. at the Braham Ev. Lutheran Church on W. Central Drive and Co. Rd. 4.  The community is located one hour north of the Twin Cities just of Hwy 65.  The Braham Area Committee for Kids (BACK) sponsors this event as a fundraiser for its outdoor recreation projects.

Categories are:  fresh fruit and/or cream, single crust, baked (includes custard pies), double crust, baked, junior division, ages 8-12 years and the Lifetime Achievement, ages 70 plus.  Bakers should deliver their pies in a nine or ten inch non-returnable pie tin, with recipes included for both crust and filling.  There is a modest entry fee for each pie, which will be reviewed by celebrity judges John Michael Lerma and Rose McGee and then sent to the auction with Smith Auction at 3 p.m. on the Pie Day stage in Freedom Park.

Proceeds from the auction sales will help support healthy living for youth through outdoor recreation.  For information call 320-396-4956. To see photos from previous festivals visit http://www.pieday.com