Best of the Shuswap Pie Baking Contest returns with Heritage Week celebrations

Cake baking and tasting will be a key focus of the upcoming Heritage Week celebrations at Salmon Arm.

RJ Haney Heritage Village & Museum and The Mall at Piccadilly are once again partnering to celebrate BC Heritage Week from 20th to 25th February.

Related attractions and activities taking place at the mall include the All the Ways to Make a Pie exhibit. Curated by Erin Stodola, this exhibit challenges you to go back a century to identify and find all the tools and ingredients used in the baking and serving of cakes. Then you can look at a really old cake recipe and learn a little more about the fertile history of the Shuswap. This exhibition is located near the mall’s pond.

The Salmon Arm Library has teamed up with RJ Haney this year to release RJ Haney Heritage Village themed coloring pages. Pick it up at the library during Heritage Week or stay a while and color it in. Completed sheets may be returned to the library or RJ Haney by March 1 for display at the library by March 6.

The Best of the Shuswap Pie Baking Contest returns on February 25th. This is the 27th year of the competition, giving contestants the opportunity to put their cake-making skills to the test. Submitted homemade cakes must be made from apples, fruit or berries and will be judged on appearance, authenticity, texture and taste. Cake drop off is from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the mall’s Center Court. First, second and third place winners will go home with this year’s title, an award ribbon, a special gift and tickets for two to the Villains and Vittles Dinner Theater summer production. For official pie contest rules, visit www.salmonarmmuseum.org.

After judging and awarding, slices of the pies can be purchased for $5 each.

The annual pie auction takes place alongside the Best of the Shuswap Pie Baking Contest at the mall. Beginning at noon on the 25th, everyone is invited to bid on cakes specially baked and donated by previous cake contest winners and local celebrity bakers. Last year’s cake auction raised $48,050, with the proceeds going to projects at RJ Haney.

Another way to support the village and the museum is through an online auction, starting at 9am on Monday February 20th. More than 90 items were donated to the auction by local businesses, organizations and individuals. Items offered include a variety of gift certificates for spa and beauty treatments, entertainment, food and beverage, automotive and business services, clothing and accessories, pet grooming baskets, gardening items, home decor items and more. The auction ends on Saturday February 25th at 3:00 p.m. To bid or for more information visit the RJ Haney Heritage Village & Museum Heritage Week online auction site at biddingowl.com.

During Heritage Week, the mall hosts live heritage-themed demonstrations, activities and a variety of exhibitors with something of interest for everyone.

RJ Haney Heritage Village and Museum is located at 751 Highway 97B. For more information about the attraction, annual passes and events, or to become a member, volunteer or donor, contact us by phone at 250-832-5243, email [email protected] or visit www.salmonarmmuseum.org .

#salmon arm story