Maine Whoopie Pie Festival returns June 25th

DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine (WABI) - A sweet story to share with you- the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival returns to Dover-Foxcroft later this month.

After forgoing two years due to the pandemic, organizers are ready to welcome whoopie pies fans back.

Joy Hollowell tells us more.

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“It’s a big deal for the community, it’s a lot of fun, it gets people up here, it’s kind of the start of summer for all of us.”

The much missed Whoopie Pie Festival returns to Dover-Foxcroft on Saturday, June 25th. Now in its 13th year, the one day event typically draws in thousands. It is the biggest annual fundraiser for the Center Theatre in town. Executive Director Patrick Myers admits there’s been some challenges bringing the tasty tradition back.

“By and large, there’s been a lot of support. There’s been a lot of excitement from people in the community. But honestly, there’s been some challenges. Some of our usual vendors, some of the bakers, whether it’s the supply chain or staffing,” says Myers. “Some of the folks who supply the rides and the games for the festival, they weren’t in business for the past two years.”

Heather Villone runs Sweetie Pies out of her home in Dexter. The baker has been a regular at the festival since 2015. In fact, Villone says her business really kicked off because of the festival.

Typically, Villone brings between 2,200 and 2,500 whoopie pies to the festival. This year, she’s thinking about downsizing to 1,850.

“I am not sure if people are going to come out in droves, and be so excited that the festival is back or if people are still going to be cautious and not want to come out.”

Villone creates and bakes all the whoopie pies by herself. She starts at the beginning of June, baking them throughout the day.

“And then I have several freezers,” she says chuckling.

Villone admits she’s come a long way from those first days of the festival.

“The first year I did it, it was rough,” she says, smiling. “I had to do one tray at a time and I used just a hand mixer. I would wake up and feel my hand vibrating in the mididle of the night.”

Villone assures whoopie pie aficionados that Sweetie Pie’s signature orange creamsicle and bismark flavors will be there. as well as some new ones-

“This year, we’re going to bring the lemon cream cake and we have a strawberry shortcake,” she says.

New to the festival this year is Peace, Love and Waffles. The Dover-Foxcroft business is also bringing a new twist on Maine’s official sweet treat.

“Our secret would be the waffle irons,” says Michael Begley, co-owner of Peace, Love and Waffles.

Chocolate, red velvet and carrot cake waffle whoopie pies will all be up for grabs, along with a few other varieties.

“The whoopie pie batter that we use for the outside, it just goes right in the waffle iron and two and a half minutes later, you’ve got a perfect,” says Begley.

“Whoopie,” adds his partner, Erin Riley.

“Yeah,” says Begley, the two of them chuckling.

The Maine Whoopie Pie Festival run from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 25th right in downtown Dover Foxcroft. It’s $5 per person, kids 12 and under are free. There will again be free parking at the fairfrounds with busses to shuttle you to and from the festival. Myers says the whoopie pie baking and eating contests will all be back along with the Kids Zone, artists, crafters and vendors. New this year- a mechanical bull riding machine.

And, they’re always looking for volunteers, both leading up to and during the day of the festival. For more information on that and other things about the festival, log onto https://www.mainewhoopiepiefestival.com/

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