New location and more bakers for Maine Whoopie Pie Festival
DOVER-FOXCROFT – The Maine Whoopie Pie Festival is Piscataquis County’s largest one-day annual event. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 14, visitors can sample and vote on whoopie pies from a record number of bakers from around New England, peruse the wares of more than 100 crafters and vendors, and check out other fun food, games and family activities in Dover-Foxcroft.
This year, for the first time, the festival will take place at the Piscataquis Valley Fairgrounds, 77 Fairview Ave. Organizers and attendees are excited by the change, according to Patrick Myers, executive director of the Center Theatre and one of the event organizers.
“At this point we have 32 bakers signed up to attend the festival,” he said. “That’s nine more than last year, which was also a record-breaking year. This includes Shaw’s supermarkets, our lead sponsor, who always brings thousands and thousands of whoopie pies. The fairground is a great space for events and we’re hoping we get lots of people in attendance so the bakers don’t have to take any whoopie pies home with them!”
SO FAST THEY CAN”T EVEN TASTE IT — Nine entrants in the youth eating contest race to finish their four whoopie pies the fastest during the 2024 Maine Whoopie Pie Festival in Dover-Foxcroft. The 16th annual festival will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Piscataquis Valley Fairgrounds. A full schedule of events may be viewed at mainewhoopiepiefestival.com.
Myers said there are several advantages to having the festival at the fairgrounds.
“There’s plenty of parking and folks don’t have to worry about a shuttle bus to get back and forth to their car,” he said. “Everything is also closer together which will make it easier to visit all the bakers and vendors. But at the same time, there’s more space for the bakers, which we’ll need this year. This also means there’s more space for people, so it shouldn’t feel so crowded.”
When people arrive in Dover-Foxcroft they can follow the large yellow signs to the Piscataquis Valley Fairgrounds or enter 77 Fairview Ave. on their mapping software to be directed to the fairgrounds.
CALLING IT RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE — Toby Nelson, who also is chief communications officer at Foxcroft Academy, officiates a match during a Limitless Wrestling show during last year’s Maine Whoopie Pie Festival in downtown Dover-Foxcroft. Grapplers from the Brewer-based company are set to compete in the ring and entertain the crowd at 11 a.m. on Saturday, weather permitting.
Myers said Fast Passes are being sold to avoid the lines at the entrance gates, and attendees can also purchase tokens in advance at the festival website, www.mainewhoopiepiefestival.com. Tokens are exchanged for samples so attendees can try great new flavors before buying them. The festival website also offers a full schedule of Maine Whoopie Pie Festival events and activities.
For more information, call the Center Theatre at 207-564-8943.
The festival is the largest annual fundraiser for the Center Theatre for the Performing Arts, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a mission to engage and inspire by making arts, education and entertainment accessible to our rural communities. They partner with the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce on this annual event that benefits dozens of organizations and businesses in Piscataquis County.
FOUR FOR TEENS — The aim of the teen whoopie pie eating contest at Maine Whoopie Pie Festival was to consume four of the tasty treats in the shortest amount of time possible. Among eight entrants, Jake Sweeney of Eliot, left, finished the quickest as he ate all four in 67 seconds. This year’s teen contest will be at noon on Saturday following the 11:30 a.m. youth competition.
WORKING IN HIS HOMETOWN — Little Joey Nails — Joseph Nelson of Dover-Foxcroft as he is known away from the squared circle — looks on as the action spilled outside the ring during a Limitless Wrestling show as part of the 2024 Maine Whoopie Pie Festival.