As we head into the holidays, we inadvertently start craving (and making) more comfort food.  Comfort food, like comfort itself, comes in many shapes and sizes.  For some, it is their family Thanksgiving turkey stuffing, for others it is mashed potatoes. For my 5 year old daughter it is undoubtedly gummy bears. One thing that’s on everyone’s comfort food list is pie.  The idea of pie immediately evokes the sense of home, coziness, tradition, and of course, comfort.  Santa Barbara’s Spectacular Pie Contest (in its 3rd year) combines all these attributes and then some.  The recipe for the event is simple:  pie makers enter their pie into the contest, people gather to eat every one of them to the last crumb, judges and eaters cast their respective votes, and the winners receive prizes from sponsors along with some serious small town fame.  What drew me to contribute to this event last year by sponsoring one of the prizes was the fact that the proceeds from the event went to Santa Barbara Transition House, and thus to the people in our community who lack the basic level of comfort—a home.  This year’s proceeds will go to another local charity that provides nourishment to the less fortunate: Santa Barbara Food Bank.  And again this year, for all the same reasons, FOLD is proud to join the event as a sponsor. 

Below are some photos capturing some of the moments of the 2016 Pie Contest, with all the credits at the end of the post. 

2017 Santa Barbara Spectacular Contest Information: {UPDATED}

Sunday, January 28, 2018
3-6 PM
Potek Winery//406 E. Haley Street #1, Santa Barbara, CA

To enter as contestant, follow this link.

Event organizers: Leela Cyd and Joya Rose Groves
Event Illustration/Graphic Design: Joya Rose Groves
Location: Potek Winery at The Mill
Table Linens: FOLD
Photography: Viktoriya Filippova, FOLD
Table greenery: Olivetta Flowers and Foliage