BY ELAINE KLAASSEN
One day a member of Minnehaha Communion Lutheran Church (MCLC) said out loud, “I want to feed people pie,” and her thought did not fall on deaf ears.
The Peace of Pie festival was born, and will be held in the fruit tree orchard of Adams Triangle across the street from the church on Sunday, June 9, from 1 to 4 p.m.
Everyone is invited to have free pie and coffee while celebrating and learning more about special organizations in the community. Tables and booths will be set up representing wonderful resources: MCLC’s Healing Hub and Sensory Library; Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly; Midtown Farmers Market; Adams Orchard Group; Longfellow Restorative Justice Organization; Transition Longfellow and more.
Throughout the afternoon there will be live music including Zac Harris and his jazz trio.
You can sign up in advance to enter the pie-baking contest, which will be judged by local chefs. After your pie is judged, you can either share it at the event or take it home for your family. The other free pie will be provided by members of the congregation, or businesses—whoever wants to donate.
You can also show up in your favorite apron, be it heirloom, funny, homemade, or whatever, and show it off in a “runway” fashion show.
MCLC is now working with the Longfellow Community Council (LCC) on a grant for the event, and hopes for them to be a partner.
The LCC sponsors the orchard of fledgling trees, only 3 years old, which have yet to bear fruit. Unlike most orchards where all the trees are of the same kind, this one is a mixture of peach, pear, plum, serviceberry, apple, apricot and cherry. (All those nearby fruit trees must have inspired the PIE idea.) They were planted with a grant to the LCC and are maintained by a volunteer committee. MCLC provides water and a hose. The long-term goal is to have a community source of fruit free to everyone, and to make people more aware of trees.
The Peace of Pie Festival sounds like a great occasion. Anyone can sign up to participate on any level at longfellowpop.org.
The church is located at 4101 37th Ave. S.
