Pie is one of the most beloved Southern foods, connected to some of our most nostalgic memories of home, family, holidays and those special moments around the kitchen table.

 

Our state has a rich pie-making tradition and Arkansans love pie!  That’s why we are so excited to host the first statewide festival to honor this much-loved food.

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The Arkansas Pie Festival is set to return to Cherokee Village on April 29, 2023 as a partner of the World Food Championship, the biggest Food Sport event in the world. As an official qualifying event for WFC, the Arkansas Pie Festival will award one Golden Ticket to its champion making them eligible to compete in the Dessert category at the international cooking tournament this fall.

 

The World Food Championships (WFC) welcomes over 350 teams from across the globe to find the best culinary talent each year. They compete in twelve categories, from barbecue to dessert, as they try to navigate their way to the tournament’s final table and a grand prize of $100,000.

 

"It's no secret...people love pie!" explained festival co-founder and Cherokee Village Community Developer Jonathan Rhodes. "We are excited to partner with the World Food Championship to promote Arkansas, bring people together in Cherokee Village and ultimately grow the Arkansas Pie Festival. You don't want to miss your chance to win a "Golden Ticket" to compete in the Dessert Competition at the World Food Championship in Dallas this fall!"

 

The Arkansas Pie Festival will savor this much-loved food by hosting a competition between commercial pie makers, home chefs, and students. Judges and attendees will be able to sample pies of all varieties before crowning a people’s choice and champion baker. Pies will also be displayed and auctioned for charity.

 

In addition to pie tasting, festival-goers will enjoy a Pie Day 5k, live entertainment, food trucks, pie eating and throwing contests, shopping at the Arkansas Pie Pop-up Shop, and much more. A full schedule of events will be released in March.

 

Festival proceeds support STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) programming and education through the community’s Spring River Innovation Hub.