This coconut cream pie made by Stacy Foster won first place in the pie category for the Oktoberfest baking contest held at the Community Foundation of Jackson County in Seymour.
Jared Reedy | For The Tribune
Jayme Clark’s cinnamon roll cheesecake earned first place in the cake category for the Oktoberfest baking contest held at the Community Foundation of Jackson County in Seymour.
Jared Reedy | For The Tribune
These pumpkin campfire cookies made by Finley Barlow, 13, won first place in the kids category for the Oktoberfest baking contest held at the Community Foundation of Jackson County in Seymour.
Jared Reedy | For The Tribune
Chocolate peanut butter pie made by Sherry Fisher earned second place in the pie category for the Oktoberfest baking contest held at the Community Foundation of Jackson County in Seymour.
Jared Reedy | For The Tribune
Heather Brott’s cookie butter cheesecake earned second place in the cake category for the Oktoberfest baking contest held at the Community Foundation of Jackson County in Seymour.
Jared Reedy | For The Tribune
These Kinder cupcakes made by Avah Howard, 9, earned second place in the kids category for the Oktoberfest baking contest held at the Community Foundation of Jackson County in Seymour.
Jared Reedy | For The Tribune
Sarah Fox’s fluffernutter pie earned third place in the pie category for the for the Oktoberfest baking contest held at the Community Foundation of Jackson County in Seymour.
Jared Reedy | For The Tribune
Leah Day’s bananas foster cake earned third place in the cake category for the Oktoberfest baking contest held at the Community Foundation of Jackson County in Seymour.
Jared Reedy | For The Tribune
Thesefootball sugar cookies made by Bronson Britt earned third place in the kids category for the Oktoberfest baking contest held at the Community Foundation of Jackson County in Seymour.
Jared Reedy | For The Tribune
Contest judge Jennifer Wilds cuts into Renee Hodge’s Almond Joy cake at the Oktoberfest baking contest held at the Community Foundation of Jackson County in Seymour.
Jared Reedy | For The Tribune
Contest judges Kevin Morrin and Chase Hatton enjoy slices of Heather Brott’s cookie butter cheesecake at the Oktoberfest baking contest held at the Community Foundation of Jackson County in Seymour.
Jared Reedy | For The Tribune
The baking contest, a staple of Oktoberfest traditions, was held Thursday morning at the Community Foundation of Jackson County on the opening day of the 51st annual fest.
For the first time, A1 Pest Pros of North Vernon sponsored the contest. Jennifer Wilds, Chase Hatton, Andy Morin and Kevin Morin with A1 Pest Pros served as judges.
Wilds said the winners in the adult pie and cake categories receive Amazon gift cards — $100 for first place, $50 for second and $25 for third.
In total, there were 25 entries in this year’s contest. Entries are judged based on appearance, texture, flavor and originality. There were categories for cake, pie and a kids category for those under 18.
Cakes entered into the contest included a caramel apple cake, a hazelnut latte cake, a carrot cake, an applesauce cake with caramel cream cheese frosting, and a gluten-free and dairy-free red velvet cake.
A variety of pies were entered into the contest as well, including a bourbon pumpkin pie, a pistachio cream pie, a caramel apple pie, a blueberry buttermilk pie, a German chocolate pie and a pumpkin pie.
Jayme Clark, whose cinnamon roll cheesecake won first place in the cake category, also made apple dumplings.
“This is like my sixth time, but it’s just fun to do,” said Renee Hodge, who baked an Almond Joy cake.
Sherry Fisher, who has entered deserts into the contest for more than 25 years, elected to bake a chocolate peanut butter pie simply because she loves it.
“It’s good and it’s easy,” Fisher said. “I’ve made it plenty of times. In fact, when I told a friend of mine that I was entering a chocolate peanut butter pie, she asked if I was selling them.”
Fisher told her friend she was not selling any pie, but she still sent her some.
As aforementioned, Clark took first place in the cake category with her cinnamon roll cheesecake, while Stacy Brooks won first place in the pie category with her coconut cream pie and Finley Barlow took first place in the kids category with her pumpkin campfire cookies.