Show Off Your Baking Skills at Art on the Avenue

If you're confident in your pie-making abilities, —to be held rain or shine on Oct. 1—is your chance to see how your secret honey-nut pie recipe stacks up against that of someone else's exquisite apple pie.

For a seventh consecutive year, Del Ray’s signature event will include a pie-baking contest.

The contest awards cash prizes in two divisions: Youth (17 and under) and adult.

The pies must be officially entered before noon on Saturday, Oct. 1, and judging will begin promptly at 12:15 p.m. The pies will be on display next to the Avenue Store located on Mt. Vernon Avenue between Del Ray and Oxford Avenues.

Every pie must be submitted with an entry form. For complete contest rules, visit the Art on the Avenue website and download the form.

After judging, the pies will be sold for $3 a slice. All profits will then be given to Stop Child Abuse Now of Northern Virginia, a local non-profit. This is the third consecutive year SCAN will be the beneficiary of the pie contest.

“Last year, we had 25 entries in the adult contest and nine in the kids contest,” organizer Stacy Biddinger said. “We raised just over $800 for SCAN.”

Pies will be judged on taste and presentation (this is an arts festival, after all), as well as a special bonus category that can be added at the judges' discretion.

Judges for this year’s contest include U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8th), Chef Eric Reid and two representatives—Jenna Franks and Miranda Jernigan—from official pie partner Del Ray Central.

“I’ve never judged one before,” Reid said. “I am excited about it… Over at , we made a pine nut pine. And at Del Merei, I used to make a pecan pie. But I don’t really have the patience for baking. I cook to taste. In baking, you have to follow that recipe.”

Reid said it is all hands on deck at Del Ray Pizzeria on Oct. 1, with almost 50,000 people expected to hit Mt. Vernon Avenue for the festival.

In last year’s contest, entrants submitted pies with names like "Del-Ray-Z-Belicious Chocolate Truffle Pie" and "Mango, Spice and Everything Nice.” Biddinger said the most unique pie last year was a half-moon bacon pie.

“Apple pies were definitely the most frequent entry last year, but many of them had a creative twist on tradition,” Biddinger said. “Our 2010 winner was a white chocolate cinnamon apple pie. Pear was also a common ingredient last year—often paired with apple.”

Biddinger suggested entrants think of creative names for their pies, but also remain mindful that the judges don’t want to guess what they’re eating.

For a recap of last year’s contest, .