FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tinky Weisblat, 413-339-4747

Who will be her successor?

PUDDING ON THE RITZ IN CHARLEMONT

Lovers of food, humor, and country life are invited to the finals of this year's Pudding Hollow Pudding Contest on Sunday, October 1, at the Federated Church in Charlemont. The day will feature an outdoor lunch (which can move indoors if the weather is inclement), homespun musical entertainment, and the grand crowning of the new Pudding Head.

The contest raises funds for the Sons & Daughters of Hawley, the historical society of nearby Hawley. The Sons & Daughters are trying to build a community center out of an old church and its surroundings. The contest builds a sense of community figuratively as well as literally by bringing townspeople, neighbors, and strangers together to sing, eat, and celebrate rural food and culture.

Now in its third consecutive year, the contest combines the past with the present. One of Hawley's earliest recorded events was an 18th-century contest between two fierce female cooks to see who could produce the larger pudding. The revived contest has slightly different rules; quality rather than quantity is the determining factor in judging. Audiences from the past two years have agreed, however, that the 21st-century version is as memorable as its predecessor.

The day will begin at noon with a country lunch on the grounds of the church. While finalists and audience members dine, the judges --who include Michael Collins, a local chef; P.J. Hamel, a writer and editor at King Arthur Flour; Kathleen Wall, manager of foodways at Plimoth Plantation; and Kurt Zanner, president of Lamson & Goodnow--will sample and rank the 15 final puddings.

At approximately 1 p.m. the entertainment will begin. A recreation of the original contest, directed by composer/conductor Alice Parker, will be fleshed out with songs and country life and food. The entertainment will be followed by the parade of pudding finalists, who hail from as far away as Virginia, and by the judges' decision. After the crowning of the pudding head, a members are invited to sample puddings.

Part Julia Child, part Frank Capra, and all fun, the finals are open to adults and children. The entertainment is free, although a donation is requested for lunch. For further details and a list of sponsors and prizes, visit the contest web page, http://www.merrylion.com/master/events/events.html, e-mail Tinky@merrylion.com, or call Tinky at 413-339-4747.

Information submitted by Tinky Weisblat

Founder of the Pudding Hollow Pudding Contest