Pie Served With A Slice Of Wry Bred

Children frolicked, musicians strummed, and pie plates were emptied at the inaugural concert in a Westville summer series Monday night.

The first of the 2014 Beecher Park Summer Concert Series was held in the park outside the Mitchell Branch Library at Whalley and Harrison, Westville, co-hosted by Mitchell Library and the Westville Village Renaissance Alliance (WVRA).

Long lines formed at the tented Hi-Fi Pie Fest station to buy slices of home-baked berry pie entries created by area amateur bakers.

Handsome T‑shirts commemorating this year’s Hi-Fi Pie Fest were available in a variety of styles while a Swagat Indian cuisine food truck catered to big appetites in the library’s parking lot. 

Over the next four Mondays, concert goers will be able to cast ballots for their favorite pies in categories that include savory pies, stone fruit pies, cream/freestyle pies, and apple/pear pies. This week’s pie contest judge was Kiara Matos (pictured) of Whole G Bakery. Contest winners included Erika Emerton for her first place Blueberry Marvelous Pie, and runner-up Lucy Hoffman with a mixed berry tart.

Music lovers also have as varied a menu with an eclectic musical line up planned for the duration of the concert series. Making their inaugural appearance at the Beecher Concert series on Monday was contra/barn dance trio, Wry Bred (“Good music no matter how you slice it”) featuring familiar area musicians, Mickey Roth (fiddle), Robert Messore (guitar), and Julie Sorcek (flute and saxophone).

Along with their energizing contra dance sound, singer-guitarist Messore dedicated a portion of the program to popular children’s songs.
WVRA event coordinator, Mistina Hanscom, surveying the sloping field crowded with blankets and baby strollers observed, ​“This looks to be about double the number of people we anticipated.” 

Throughout the event, children and some adults danced and frolicked under the waning rays of the afternoon sun.

Westville Alder Adam Marchand, reacting to a panoramic photo posted on line noted: ​“Foreground, slightly right of center, sits my wife all alone — the boys are running like crazy off camera, and I’m getting tackled and chased around by a raucous band of children! Fun night.”

Next week’s (July 28) family friendly concert features the Indie pop group Mission O, with the Savory Pies category headlining the Hi-Fi Pie Fest. Little Nora Cupcakes will be the featured food truck vendor. For more information visit the WestvilleCT.org website.