Summer festival spotlight: Braham Pie Day

CATHY WURZER: I know the subject of where to get the best pie in Minnesota is controversial. There's a squabble between those who love Betty's Pies on the North Shore and the pies made by the Rustic Inn. The Aroma Pie Shoppe in Whalan Minnesota along the Root River Trail has a lot of fans. But perhaps Braham Minnesota has everybody beat.

Back in 1990, former Minnesota Governor Rudy Perpich named Braham, which is an hour north of Saint Paul, the Homemade Pie Capital of Minnesota. Braham Pie Day began that year, and it's the latest in our series highlighting summer festivals around the state. This coming Friday, volunteers will serve somewhere around 700 pies in Freedom Park, which is along Main Street.

And there are a bunch of other events planned, as well, including a performance by the Pie-Alluia Chorus. to name a few. Pie Day Entertainment Coordinator Marie Grundberg is on the line with the details. Hey, Marie, how are you?

MARIE GRUNDBERG: I am just fine. I'm so excited to be on the radio--

CATHY WURZER: [LAUGHS] Well, you can tell your friends. You can tell your friends.

MARIE GRUNDBERG: Well, with all our wonderful Pie Day years-- 34 years we've been having Pie Day. I've been involved for eight.

CATHY WURZER: Oh my gosh. OK, you've got to tell me. How in the world did little Braham become the Homemade Pie Capital of the state? Do you know?

MARIE GRUNDBERG: Girl power.

[LAUGHTER]

Back in 1989, we had a thrift store called [INAUDIBLE]. And the ladies that worked there liked to bake pies. So a group of them started baking pies. And then, pretty soon, people wanted a piece of their pie.

So they started baking pies. And then, gradually, they had a little gathering in the park, Freedom Park, and started calling it Pie Day. And it grew. And in 1990, I would think we were getting about 200 to 300 people for Pie Day at that time. And people were able to donate pies made at home, which we can't do anymore--

CATHY WURZER: Oh, sure.

MARIE GRUNDBERG: --because it needs to be done in a certified kitchen. But Governor Rudy Perpich wanted to find out what the heck this Pie Day was all about. So he came to Braham. And he was just overwhelmed and amazed of what this little town has created. So he named us Minnesota Pie Capital. Braham is Minnesota Pie Capital.

CATHY WURZER: Oh my gosh. That's a heck of a story. So what is Braham like on Pie Day?

MARIE GRUNDBERG: Well, through the years, the gatherings have gotten larger and larger, and sometimes we have up to 6,000 people in Braham.

CATHY WURZER: Wow. Wow. Wow.

MARIE GRUNDBERG: That's a lot of people--

CATHY WURZER: That's a lot of folks.

MARIE GRUNDBERG: --because Braham isn't very big.

CATHY WURZER: No, I know. I know. I've been through it. I've been through it. You guys are small. Ay. So, OK, you've got different days this week devoted to baking different kinds of pie. Is that right?

MARIE GRUNDBERG: Yes, that's correct.

CATHY WURZER: OK.

MARIE GRUNDBERG: Last week, one day was designated to dough day. So they get all the dough and get all the pie doughs into the pans and everything. And then they put them into the refrigerator. And then, the next day, they started with apple day. They all come and peel apples.

And then it's peach day and then the other pies that they make are different kinds of fruits, either gathered from gardens, or we buy the fruit. And then rhubarb, a lot of rhubarb.

And we do not do cream pies because we are outside, and we're going to have a day like today on Friday. So we can't sell cream pies. But we do have a local Park Cafe that sells all the cream pies that they bake for people that would like that.

CATHY WURZER: Well, of course. Do you have a favorite kind of pie?

MARIE GRUNDBERG: Do I? Yes.

CATHY WURZER: Yeah.

MARIE GRUNDBERG: Raisin pie.

CATHY WURZER: No, Marie.

MARIE GRUNDBERG: Custard raisin pie. I love custard raisin pie.

CATHY WURZER: OK. All right. You know--

MARIE GRUNDBERG: But they can't make that here.

CATHY WURZER: That's OK. That's good. That's good. I'm a big fan of rhubarb. So you mentioned you got a lot of rhubarb. I'm in your court on that one. Say, before we go-- I know you're the entertainment coordinator. So what's the lineup this year?

MARIE GRUNDBERG: The lineup is, at 10:00 is Jenni Thyng, who is a local gal, but she sings all over the state of Minnesota. She's even singing the National Anthem for the Twins game. So we have her at 10:00.

And at 11:00, we have a group from Eden Prairie, which is Irish dancers. And they are fabulous. They come from all ages. They can be from 2 to 70 or 80 that do the Irish jig.

CATHY WURZER: OK.

MARIE GRUNDBERG: And they call them Mactír Academy of Irish dancers. And then at 11:00--

CATHY WURZER: So it sounds like you've got a-- actually, I'm running out of time. I'm running out of time, Marie. I'm so sorry.

MARIE GRUNDBERG: OK.

CATHY WURZER: No, you're doing great. Is there a website people can check in terms of all the different events?

MARIE GRUNDBERG: Yes. Go to brahampieday.com.

CATHY WURZER: That's easy.

MARIE GRUNDBERG: And then check on-- there are all different kinds of links. They can check on whatever they want to find out.

CATHY WURZER: And, of course, it's Braham-- B-R-A-H-A-M. There you go. Marie, have a wonderful Pie Day. You take care of yourself. Thank you.

MARIE GRUNDBERG: Thank you. Thanks for the interview. Yay.

CATHY WURZER: See, there you go. You've been on the radio. It's kind of a bucket list thing. Marie Grundberg, the entertainment coordinator for Braham Pie Day, this Friday in Braham, Minnesota.