Community and pie.
Those were the two words repeated again and again by attendees when asked what brought them to the 2026 Hebron Pie Festival.
Attendees protected pie with umbrellas and themselves with ponchos. Bounce houses lined the street, kids splashed in puddles and contestants rushed their contest pies to the table covered by bags and t-shirts for the pie festival.
“You get some good years of weather and some bad, not much you can do,” said Brittany Misner, pie festival committee member and Hebron’s village administrator. “People are still out here though. It makes me happy!”
The parade along Route 40 started at 11 a.m., kicking off the festival. But for many volunteers, their day started at 7 a.m. when they arrived for set up.
The day’s festivities included the 2nd annual Hebron Pie Festival 5K Run & Walk in the morning, the Blue Ribbon Baking Competition, a pie royalty contest and a pie eating competition.
Five adults feasted on pies in what pie festival emcee Dave Dernberger called “the greatest few minutes in Hebron Pie Festival history.” 
Heavy rain on Saturday morning didn’t deter festivalgoers from enjoying pie and activities in Hebron. 
Children wait for youth pie eating contest to start. 
Lexi Henley and her papa Kevin Bush visited Hebron to enjoy the pie festival. Despite the rain, the two participated in a makeshift toy sword fight. 
Volunteers passed out pies despite the rain. 
Five adults feasted on pies in what pie festival emcee Dave Dernberger called “the greatest few minutes in Hebron Pie Festival history.”
The main stage featured live performances from the Shining Stars, Rese Jhordan, TNT Bluegrass and Big Bad Stache.
The festival, first held in 2019, is only a few years old.
Hebron resident Karen Glade stopped by the pie festival with her husband to support Hebron. It was pouring rain, she said, but she was happy to see people showing their community support.
Glade said she sees community in “people getting together of all walks of life, listening to some music together and finding what we have in common, like this lovely cherry pie and things that bring people together.”
“Our country is so divided, so it’s really necessary to sit and talk with others and get to know people.”
This is her third Hebron Pie Festival.
“The tradition is a good one,” Glade said.
Penny Wolf signs one of the pie contestants in during the pie festival. 
Lydia Bulakski and her older sister Evelyn Bulakski splash in the big puddle after the rain has passed. Their father, Patrick Bulakski said they came out to the pie festival despite the rain because “the girls wanted pie.” 
Lisa Jones visited the pie festival from Newark with her grandson Jax Gettman. Gettman ran out into the rain to splash in the damp grass during the festival. 
Elizabeth Workman, owner of W1 Designs, a screen printing, embroidery and custom designs business, brought pie themed t-shirts to sell at the pie festival. This was her first event with her business. “Nice to be back in town, I went to school here.” Workman said. “We were hoping for some sunshine that’s for sure but we stuck it out and got some sunshine at the end, us and a couple others,” she gestured to the other two booths that were still standing once the rain had cleared. 
For Susan Patterson and Jim Mitchen, when asked what brings them to the pie festival their answer is simple: to buy a pie. Mitchen is from Hebron and has been attending the pie festival since its first year in 2019. 
Randy Wolf built and donated this muzzle loader to auction at the pie festival in honor of America 250. 
Jessica Karr, Vickie Marshall and Chod Yarnelli served as pie contest judges this year. 
Hebron Mayor Valerie Mockus (seated) and Village Administrator Brittany Misner were all smiles at the village’s annual pie festival. 
Isla splashes in a big puddle after the rain has cleared. 
Caitlin Bowman and Caetana Epifano are two of the pie festival committee members. These volunteers spent months planning and organizing the event. Heavy rain on Saturday morning didn’t deter festivalgoers from enjoying pie and activities in Hebron.
To the right of the pie sales stand, volunteers protect the contest pies from rain. Many of this year’s pies feature patriotic designs, while a George Washington cutout stands in the corner, with rainwater rushing under his feet.
Penny Wolf, volunteer and organizer of the baking contest said this year the pie festival incorporated more patriotic themes to tie in to America 250.
The Blue Ribbon Baking Competition had 19 registered entries and 15 people showed up.
Wolf said the rain likely stopped a few people, but she was happy with the turnout nonetheless.
Wolf volunteers and helps organize the festival each year because of the community the festival provides.
“I think it’s mostly for community and it’s something very unique. For this part of it, it’s reviving an old craft,” Wolf said.
She’s a baker herself, but she didn’t enter a pie into this competition to stay neutral.
It was around 3:30 p.m. when the five participants of the adult pie eating contest smashed their faces into pies during what Dave Dernberger, pie festival emcee, called the greatest few minutes in Hebron Pie Festival history.
Five adults feasted on pies in what pie festival emcee Dave Dernberger called “the greatest few minutes in Hebron Pie Festival history.” Five adults feasted on pies in what pie festival emcee Dave Dernberger called “the greatest few minutes in Hebron Pie Festival history.” 
Brandon Ours won the adult pie eating contest in 2024 and 2025, but stepped aside so as to not compete against his son, Eli — who was finally old enough to compete in the adult competition. 
Eli Ours won the youth pie eating contest in both 2024 and 2025, but aged out of the youth competition in 2026. This year, he earned second in the adult competition. 
Eli Ours won the youth pie eating contest in both 2024 and 2025, but aged out of the youth competition in 2026. This year, he earned second in the adult competition. 
Milly Meldau took home the gold in the adult pie eating contest. 
Milly Meldau (right) took home the gold in a tight pie eating competition. Brandon Ours (left) was a close second-place finisher. Children wait for youth pie eating contest to start. 
The youth pie eating contest was a battle to the finish at the 2026 Hebron Pie Festival. 
Youth pie eating contest winner, Logan was also Jr. Mr. Pie Prince.
In both 2024 and 2025, Brandon and Eli Ours won the adult and youth pie eating contests, respectively. This year, Eli aged out of the youth competition. He competed in the adult competition in place of his father.
Some of the participants cherished their pies, making small dents and closing the pie up to savor later, but the two youngest contestants dug straight in.
In a very close race, newcomer Milly Meldau took the win.
“It feels amazing,” she said.
After the competition, she promptly rushed home to attend a band festival.
Behind the pie eating competition and to the left sat an array of local vendors. Leanne Steiff, the volunteer who is responsible for the vendors, said that out of the 28 set to participate, because of the rain only 24 showed.
“I still think with today’s rain 24 was still good,” Steiff said.
She typically only allows one vendor for each type of craft, for example only one that sells candles or only one for t-shirts. Because of this, she has people fighting for a spot to return. They will start calling in February, she said.
Steiff is not from Hebron, but she has been in the community for 25 years now.
“It’s neat to see my neighbors come together, kids in my neighborhood, it feels very much like a hallmark moment,” she said. “I love when we do this.”
Ella Diehl writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.