Every April, a larger-than-life apple pie is prepared in Veterans Park in Hoover, Alabama. The pie, which is just over 10 feet wide and fills a 2,000-pound, custom-built pie pan, is cooked onsite in a specialty convection oven by students from Jefferson State Community College’s Culinary Hospitality Institute.
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Courtesy of Bluff Park Coffee Collective
Celebrate Hoover Day 2023 featured live entertainment by More Cowbell, who played a wide variety of songs from Florida Georgia Line to Prince and Taylor Swift.
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Courtesy of Bluff Park Coffee Collective
Children had the chance to visit with small farm animals, including goats, ducks, and more, at the event’s petting zoo.
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Courtesy of Bluff Park Coffee Collective
Mayor Frank V. Brocato, Miss Hoover 2023, Mary-Coker Green, and Miss Hoover’s Outstanding Teen, Karrington Channell, serve from the 10-foot wide apple pie.
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Courtesy of Bluff Park Coffee Collective
Complimentary carnival rides, face painting, pony rides and inflatables are among some of the day’s favorite events and activities. For information about Celebrate Hoover and other events sponsored by the City of Hoover Parks and Recreation department, go to www.hooveral.org/365/Annual-City-Events.
The apple pie tradition began in 2010 with the desire to add a memorable twist to the annual Celebrate Hoover Day, something that would leave a lasting impression – and baking the largest pie in Alabama history was just the ticket. Now, 14 years later, the tradition continues with Mayor Frank V. Brocato. Miss Hoover and Miss Hoover’s Outstanding Teen serving up slices to a crowd of more than 15,000 residents.
This year, Celebrate Hoover Day is planned for Saturday, April 27 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Veterans Park on Valleydale Road. And, of course, the tradition of serving up complimentary apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream will definitely continue.
The event kicks off with a Veterans Memorial Paver Dedication and continues with live entertainment, a kids zone, a petting zoo, carnival rides, a vintage car show, face painting, an expansive exhibitor pavilion, and document shredding provided by Shred-It. Free parking is available at Spain Park High School,
With the exception of on-site food vendors and food trucks, all aspects of the event are free for Hoover residents, which helps encourage participation in the city’s largest festival.