KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A great group of bakers brought delicious pear desserts to the Kelseyville Presbyterian Church Social Hall on Friday, Sept. 23, for the Kelseyville Pear Festival’s Pear Dessert Contest sponsored by Lake Parts Service - NAPA Dealers for Lake County.

This annual event always takes place the day before the Kelseyville Pear Festival.

This year’s contestants ranged in age from 7-year-old twin girls to a 91-year-old great-grandmother.

Local food experts Madelene Lyon and Marcie Cadora and event sponsor Chris Mansell of Lake Parts Service carefully judged each dessert for taste, visual appearance, texture and use of pears.

Event chairperson and former winner Martha Rose has officially stepped down from competition and wanted to add some new flavor to this year’s event. 

All contestants were photographed with their desserts upon arrival to the contest. The winners and all the other contestants  were featured on a wonderful display in the Pear Pavilion during the Pear Festival on Saturday.

For the first time, the five winners were also part of the Saturday morning parade riding in a convertible sponsored by Guy Strohmeier’s Auto Center in Lakeport and driven by Anna Jacobson.

This year’s winners were:

– First place; Rebecca Molloy, Becca’s Overnight Pear Fritter Bread.
– Second place: Tina Scott, pear upon cheesecake.
– Third place: Megan Lankford, spice and wine poached pear pie.
– Fourth place: Tina Scott, pear bundt cake.
– Fifth place: Kristen Walker, pear, date and sesame pie.

Gift certificates for local eateries were presented to the winners:

– First place: Saw Shop Gallery Bistro, $200.
– Second place: Angel’s Rock House, $150.
– Third place: Pogo’s Pizza, $75.
– Fourth place: Kelseyville Pizza, $50.
– Fifth place: Studebaker’s Coffee House & Deli, $25.

Rose is hopeful that this event will continue to grow and inspire cooks and bakers to bring their “pear” creations to next year’s contest.