From politicians to pundits, everyone's lookin' for a piece of the action at pie fest

New Hampshire Farm Museum Director Kagen Weeks goes over the ground rules with judges during last year's festival. (Rochester Voice file photo)

MILTON - When this writer interviewed then-New Hampshire Gov. Judd Gregg prior to a benefit golf tournament at Wentworth by the Sea Country Club in Rye in the late 1990s, we pointedly queried the former governor if he were more apt to slice to the right or hook it left.

"Always straight down the middle," he quipped without missing a beat as he strode to the first tee.

On Sunday current New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu is sure to display that same objectivity when his taste buds are put to the test as one of the New Hampshire Farm Museum's most noteworthy judges at the museum's 11^th Annual Great New Hampshire Pie Festival.

This year's pie fest, which is expected to features judges from local police and fire departments, school superintendents, politicians and pundits, including Rochester Voice president Martha Soto Galicia, runs from noon-3 p.m. New Hampshire Farm Museum director Kagen Weeks said earlier this month the festival is the museum's most important fund-raiser of the year and by fair it's most popular event.

Dozens of local bakeries are donating pie for visitors to sample. In addition to pies provided by local bakers, visitors will have a chance to sample entries in this year's amateur bake-off competition.

Festival organizers are still accepting entries from amateur bakers who are interested in earning bragging rights for a full year so they can boast that their pie won the coveted best-in-show award and a handmade Peterborough pie basket for first through third place with great prizes in every category.

Anyone can enter to prove that their pie is the best in the state.

Contestants can choose from several different pie categories: apple, fruit, savory, nonfruit. Teens, children less than 13 or adults can register at pie dropoff at the Farm Museum from 10-11:45 a.m. on Sunday.

The event's sponsors and supporters are King Arthur Flour, Susan Foster Brown Studio, The Pink House, Lilac Printing, Lavalley Lumber, The Music Mill, Sebastion Septic Service., Advance Auto Parts Rochester, Salmon Falls Pottery and McKenzie's Farm.

To learn more, please call the New Hampshire Farm Museum at 652-7840. Or visit facebook.com/NewHampshireFarmMuseum/.

The New Hampshire Farm Museum is located at 1305 White Mountain Highway (Route 125) in Milton.

Sunday's weather is predicted as nothing short of spectacular, with mostly sunny skies and temps in the 80s.