By Amira Van Leeuwen
KYLE — Kyle’s Pie in the Sky Festival returns after being canceled last year due to COVID-19.
This year, the family-friendly event took place at Gregg-Clarke Park near Ash Pavillion on Sept. 3 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Typically, the event is at Lake Kyle Park, but the park is currently undergoing construction.
Pie in the Sky had several live musical performances by Broken Arrow, Jukebox Preachers ft. Art Tigerina, LC Rocks, Kyle Park, JR Gomez y Los Conjunto Bandits.
The event was to offer $15 tethered hot air balloon rides, but due to inclement weather, rides were not available.
There were over 30 local vendors, including Luna & the Leaf, Texas Pie Company, Kona Shaved Ice and Tacos Pa-Ti.
Luna & the Leaf, a handmade soap and skincare company out of Kyle, sold soap bars, body butter, whipped sugar scrubs and bath truffles.
The Texas Pie Company sold several different flavored 10-ounce pies for $6 including pecan, fudge, fudge pecan, buttermilk, strawberry rhubarb, cherry, peach, blueberry and almond joy.
Tacos Pa-Ti, a family-owned food business, sold quesabirria tacos and aguas frescas. Owner Patricia Arvizu started her business out of her house last September for friends and family, then decided to make a Facebook. Tacos Pa-Ti’s first event was at the Railhouse. Tacos Pa-Ti has also done some catering.
Arvizu loves talking to people and said they weren’t expecting Tacos Pa-Ti to be so busy.
Event-goers could also cool off with some shaved ice from Kona Shaved Ice in various flavors like blue coconut, dill pickle, tamarindo and grape.
Pie in the Sky held four pie events: the pie toss, pie baking contest, pie recital contest and pie eating contest.
The pie baking contest had two categories: savory and sweet. There were several types of pies, including Mango Coconut pie, Taco pie, Daddy’s Spicy Picadillo Pie, Dougie’s Dutch Baby pie, Cinnamon pie, Chicken Tikka Masala pie, Lemon Ballon Blueberry pie, Porkie Joe pie and Upside Down Cherry pie.
In the savory category, Chicken Tikka Masala pie won first place, Porkie Joe pie placed second and Daddy’s Spicy Picadillo placed third.
In the sweet category, the Lemon Balloon Blueberry pie placed third, the Triple Coconut Cream Pie placed second and the Strawberry Mint Spiral placed first. The overall winner of the pie baking contest was the Chicken Tikka Masala Victoria Stringer-Allen made.
The Pie in the Sky baking contest was Allen’s first-ever pie competition. Her husband was the one who pushed her to do it.
“This is really exciting,” Allen said after winning the competition.
Kids were able to play on the playground or play different carnival games like Bushel Basket Toss, mini corn hole, Streetskee or Plinko. Kids could also get their faces painted by Janine Skeens, owner of Big Smiles Face Painting.
The city has plans for the next Pie In the Sky Day to return to Lake Kyle in 2023.
