News
Blue In The Face At Sickles Blues Festival
By Kathleen Alvarez
It was a hot summer day last Saturday at the Sickles market in Little Silver as shoppers enjoyed blueberry smoothie samples, face painting, and the traditional blueberry pie-eating contest at the 11th Annual Sickles Market's Blues Festival.
Sickles hosts events like this seasonally, for fruits that are in season at the time. New Jersey blueberries are currently in season for the summer, and, as Bob Sickles, owner, remarked, "It seems to always be a hot day when we have it." The market takes enjoyment in setting up a festival for the community, while having everything "blue" on sale, including items such as blueberries or blue cheese.
Of all the events that occur on this day, the pie-eating contest is most definitely the employees' favorite. Along with contests for the children, there is also a contest between the employees, which can get very competitive. As for the kids, "to see how involved they get is really adorable," events coordinator Leah Kavookjian remarks.
The kids sat down at a long table in the Sickles Market's greenhouse. Leah, along with Assistant Marketing Manager Tori Sickles, set up the event by placing large plastic bags on the table and wrapping the bags around the contestants to keep their clothes blueberry-free. Children received a quarter slice of pie (bigger than some of their heads) on a big plate after having been weighed by Tori and Leah. After one minute the plates were weighed again and whoever ate the most pie was titled the winner.
The rules were simple: "No hands, only your face," Leah explained to the contestants. "On your mark, get set, go!" The children stood up out of their chairs and shoved their faces into the pie. After one minute, they took their heads out of the plates and sat back down. The winner was to receive a gift basket filled with gifts such as a s'mores kit and a beach towel.
The second-place winner of one of the many children's contests, Brittany Oriente, claimed, "It was messy, but a lot of fun." She also said that it was "very good pie." First place winner, nine-year-old Jared Virgil, stated that some pie also went up his nose.
The employee contest was a bit more competitive. Bob Sickles had bet Luke, a deli employee, that if Bob lost, he would work the deli line for a day. One winner from the employee contest, Christopher Ross, a last-minute contestant, revealed his strategy: "When they called ten seconds, I just stuffed my face." As the winner, he received $100 and another $100 for a charity.
Overall, the Blues Festival was a success. Nothing is quite like spending a hot Saturday afternoon in the summer listening to the blues, celebrating all things "blue," and, of course, shoving your face into a big piece of blueberry pie.
As for Bob, he unfortunately lost the pie-eating contest bet. Maybe one day you'll happen to find him working behind the deli counter.
