News

Claremont Hotels Offer “Room and Bard” Special for 2018 Midsummer Shakespeare Festival Visitors

Hotels in Claremont, California, are partnering with the town’s annual Midsummer Shakespeare Festival to offer a “Room and Bard” package that includes festival tickets and gourmet treats to enjoy during the performance under the stars.

The fifth annual Midsummer Shakespeare Festival presented by Ophelia’s Jump Productions runs July 12-22, 2018, Thursday to Sunday evenings at the Sontag Greek Theatre at Pomona College. This year’s shows, performed in repertory, are Romeo and Juliet, performed in English and American Sign Language (July 13-15-19-21), and As You Like It (July 12-14-20-22).

The Discover Claremont “Room and Bard” package includes a comfortable guest room; two tickets to one performance; a selection of gourmet treats and a split of wine, packed in an insulated tote; and padded seats to borrow for the evening. The value of the two tickets, two chair rentals, picnic with split of wine, and take-home tote is $136.

Reservations must be made by phoning the participating properties directly and requesting the “Room and Bard” package. The package is subject to availability at the following Claremont hotels:

DoubleTree by Hilton Claremont (909-626-2411), package rate begins at $190
Hotel Casa 425 (909-624-2272), package rate begins at $199
Claremont Lodge (909-626-5654)
Knights Inn Claremont (909-626-2431)
Motel 6 Claremont (909-621-4831), package rate begins at $100

Guests at DoubleTree will enjoy a picnic specially prepared by the hotel’s chef. Packing House Wines will provide wine and picnic options for guests of Hotel Casa 425, Claremont Lodge, Knights Inn and Motel 6.

For tickets and additional information about the Midsummer Shakespeare Festival, visit https://www.opheliasjump.org/

Claremont, located just 30 miles east of Los Angeles, is one of America’s top college towns. Visitor attractions include Grammy-winner Ben Harper’s Folk Music Center and Museum; the 86-acre Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden; restaurants and boutiques in the walkable Claremont Village; museums and public art at the Claremont Colleges; Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theater; Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology; and the refurbished Claremont Packing House food and entertainment center. Find specials and visitor information here on DiscoverClaremont.com.

2018 Midsummer Shakespeare Festival in Claremont, presented by Ophelia’s Jump, Features Romeo & Juliet, As You Like It

Ophelia’s Jump Productions presents their Annual Midsummer Shakespeare Festival with ROMEO & JULIET: AN ASL LOVE STORY and AS YOU LIKE IT. The productions will run July 12-22, 2018 at Sontag Greek Theatre at Pomona College. The festival, co-sponsored by Pomona College, includes exhibits, arts and crafts by community businesses and organizations.

Claremont hotels will offer a special “Room and Bard” package that includes festival tickets, a picnic-for-two, and other benefits. Visit DiscoverClaremont.com/specials for hotel specials; find festival tickets at OpheliasJump.org or by calling 909-734-6565.

This year’s Midsummer Shakespeare Festival celebrates diversity and inclusion with an adaptation of Shakespeare’s masterpiece, ROMEO & JULIET. First produced as a 45 minute version for LA Fringe Festival, the piece has been expanded to its full length and scope for the festival. Juliet and other members of her family are deaf. The rift that divides the lovers is cultural and linguistic, but their love transcends their families’ prejudices. The production will be double cast with both deaf and hearing actors. The aim is to make this timeless story accessible to all and to create a shared understanding and communal experience for all audience members. AS YOU LIKE IT incorporates the world of wrestling with humor and high energy. Both productions will take place under the stars at the beautiful Sontag Greek Theatre, an outdoor amphitheater renovated in 1997. The productions will be performed in repertory, alternating each night.

ABOUT ROMEO & JULIET
Capulet. Montague. Deaf. Hearing. Our identities tell the world who we are and shape how we interact with others. This modern production of Romeo and Juliet examines what can hap-pen when we choose to see certain groups as “other” or as our enemies, instead of ﬁnding commonality and community. Accessible to Deaf and hearing audiences in American Sign Lan-guage (ASL) and Shakespeare’s spoken English.

ABOUT AS YOU LIKE IT
Freedom to create is air to an artist – without it they would perish. But when every poet, musi-cian, comedian, and philosopher is exiled to the wilderness, and a vicious media baron re-places them with bloodsport, is art enough to survive on? Rosalind and her cousin Celia navi-gate the crazed world of wrestling, cross-dressing, and ennui-plagued men to ﬁnd true love and true expression in this modern production of As You Like It.

In it’s ﬁfth year, Ophelia’s Jump’s Midsummer Shakespeare Festival artfully presents tragedy and comedy under the stars in a beautiful outdoor setting. We invite you to bring your own picnic and don’t forget a small blanket or cushion for added comfort.

Weekend Festival

On Saturdays, arrive early and enjoy local musicians, artists, and crafts before settling in for an evening of timeless Shakespearean classics. Enjoy festival booths, crafts, and vendors starting at 5:30 p.m. Local restaurants and businesses will be offering special in-restaurant dining menus and selected take-out options to enjoy prior to all performances.

Title: ROMEO & JULIET: AN ASL LOVE STORY and AS YOU LIKE IT
Directors: Ophelia’s Jump Company Member Alexandra Easton (ROMEO & JULIET) and Founding Associate Artistic Director Caitlin Lopez (AS YOU LIKE IT)
Location: Sontag Greek Theatre, Pomona College, 300 East Bonita Ave., Claremont
(located behind Seaver Theatre)
Opening: Thursday, July 12 (AS YOU LIKE IT) & Friday, July 13 (ROMEO & JULIET)
Regular Run: July 12-July 22, 2018

Specific Show Schedule:

AS YOU LIKE IT – July 12, 14, 20, 22

ROMEO & JULIET – July 13, 15, 19, 21

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays at 8 p.m

Ticket prices: $25 General Admission. Group tickets available, contact info@opheliasjump.org or call 909-734-6565 for info.

About Ophelia’s Jump

Ophelia’s Jump is a non-profit regional theatre company based in Claremont and performing in Claremont and Upland. Ophelia’s Jump Productions was founded by artists and educators who believe that the purpose of theatre is to create unending conversations, spark imagination, incite conscience, and elicit a visceral response. Ophelia’s Jump aims to invigorate the creativity and intellect of the community by working with local emerging artists. Additional information available at opheliasjump.org

About Pomona College

Located in Claremont, California, Pomona College is widely regarded as one of the nation’s leading liberal arts colleges. Established in 1887, Pomona is known for its quality academic programs, a challenging curriculum, close relationships between students and faculty, a range of student research and leadership opportunities, and a strong commitment to the arts.

Visitor Events in Claremont During 2018 Offer Live Grooves, Craft Brews, Entertainment Under the Stars and More

Claremont, California, located just 30 miles east of Los Angeles, is one of America’s top college towns. Teeming with tree-lined streets and stunning historical architecture, the city’s food scene, boutique shopping, bicycle-friendly streets and trails, and year-round calendar of events for all ages make it an ideal weekend getaway from “busy L.A.”

Some Claremont events in 2018 that are “worth the drive” – or a Metrolink ride to the Historic Claremont Depot – include:

March 17 – Claremont Pie Festival: A fun-filled day for pie lovers, featuring bakers and makers demonstrations, pie baking and pie eating contests, artisan vendor booths, classic car show, and more. Organized by I Like Pie Bake Shop.

April 28 – A Taste of Claremont: Enjoy Claremont’s finest cuisine, wine, and spirits at this fundraiser as local establishments dish up their very best.

April 28-July 29 – Butterfly Pavilion at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden: Housed in the 86-acre botanic garden, home to the largest collection of native California flora, visitors can walk among butterflies, caterpillars, and the California native plants they depend on for food and nectar.

May 17 – 10th Annual Claremont Film Festival: This event features the finest in documentaries and shorts from around the world. Visit ClaremontFilmFest.com for information.

May 19 – Claremont Folk Festival, presented by Folk Music Center: Located at the stunning Sontag Greek Theater at Pomona College, festival-goers will enjoy a full day of music, workshops, vendors, food and beverages, and more for the entire family. Visit FolkMusicCenter.com for tickets to this 34^th annual event.

June – Butterflies and Brews at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden: Local musicians provide the soundtrack as guests walk among butterflies on Friday nights in June.

June 2 – Claremont Village Craft Beer Walk: Claremont Village businesses will serve as craft beer tasting and food sampling sites while entertainment rocks the Village at numerous locations.

July 12-22 – Midsummer Shakespeare Festival, presented by Ophelia’s Jump: Under the stars at Pomona College’s outdoor Sontag Greek Theater, Ophelia’s Jump will perform “As You Like It” and “Romeo & Juliet: An ASL Love Story” (performed in English and American Sign Language) in repertory. Claremont hotels will offer a special “Room and Bard” package that includes festival tickets, a picnic-for-two, and other benefits. Visit DiscoverClaremont.com/specials for hotel specials; find festival tickets at OpheliasJump.org .

September 8 – Claremont Village Wine Walk: Claremont Village businesses will be serving wine and offering food tastings. Live music performances will be held throughout the Village.

October 19 to April 2019 – Origami in the Garden: Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden will host this curated exhibition of pedestal-sized and larger sculptures, created by American artists Jennifer and Kevin Box and others, that tells the story of Origami in museum quality metals.

October 27 – Village Venture Arts & Crafts Faire: Autumn’s largest arts & crafts fair in the Inland Empire. Get holiday shopping done early as you walk the streets of the Claremont Village lined with over 400 booths selling unique art, original crafts, and apparel. Stop by the food court for an array of international foods and entertainment, and the beer and wine garden to sample local brews.

Overnight visitors to Claremont can choose from a range of lodging. In the Claremont Village, the boutique Hotel Casa 425 features rooms that open onto a tranquil courtyard; on Historic Route 66, the resort-like DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Claremont offers a large pool, perfect for cooling off during the summer. Both hotels feature uniquely styled rooms and top-notch dining. Budget-minded tourists will find Claremont Lodge, Knights Inn Claremont, and Motel 6 Claremont along Interstate 10, each featuring outdoor pools.

Claremont Restaurants, Hotels Earn “Best of Inland Empire” Honors

March 2018 – Inland Empire Magazine named several Claremont restaurants and hotels among its 2018 “Best of the Inland Empire” winners in February. The restaurants and hotels were chosen by Inland Empire magazine readers in more than a dozen categories.

Here are some of the top “Readers’ Choices” in Claremont:

Best Splurge Restaurant

Bardot

Best Place for a Business Lunch

The Orchard, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Claremont

Best Italian Restaurant

Eddie’s Italian Eatery

Il Mattone Trattoria Italiana

Tutti Mangia

Best Mexican Restaurant

Casa Moreno

Espiau’s

Best Sandwich Shop

42^nd Street Bagel Café

Best Burger

Eureka!

Best Dessert

Salted Caramel Custard with Butterscotch Cashew Popcorn, The Orchard, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Claremont

Best Slice of Pie

I Like Pie Bake Shop

Best Coffee House

Augie’s Coffee House

Best Coffee Drink

Iced Caramel Latter, Augie’s Coffee House

Best Hotel

Casa 425 Hotel + Lounge

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Claremont

Claremont to Host “Heart of the Foothills” CicLAvia on Earth Day 2018

What:
CicLAvia’s 25^th Car-Free Streets Event “Heart of the Foothills”

Perfect for the cyclist — or walker, jogger, skateboarder or scooterer — this car-free event has four hubs: in San Dimas, La Verne,
Pomona and Claremont. Participants can start anywhere and ride at their own pace through adjacent neighborhoods. From the old west flavor of downtown San Dimas, to the small town charm of La Verne, to the Midwestern vibe of Pomona, to the elegant tree-lined boulevards of Claremont, discover each town in a new way, or for the first time. In addition to the car-free streets, set against the magnificent backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains, there will be food trucks and activity booths galore, art stations, two farmers’ markets and Earth Day celebrations.

Where:
“Heart of the Foothills” winds through four inland cities new to CicLAvia: San Dimas,
La Verne, Pomona and Claremont. Participants may enter and exit the 6.5 miles of car-
free streets anywhere along the route. (map attached or download here)

When:

Streets car-free from 9 am – 4 pm
Sunday, April 22 (Earth Day)
8:30 am Kick Off and Press Conference

Who:
his is a family-friendly, multi-generational event, open to all ages. Any and all forms of people-powered transportation welcome including cyclists, scooters, rollerbladers, strollers and walkers.

Why:
Presented by Metro, CicLAvia catalyzes vibrant public spaces, active transportation and good health through car-free streets. CicLAvia engages with people to transform our relationship with our communities and with each other.\

How:
CicLAvia is free. No registration required. Show up anywhere along the route. If arriving by car, there is ample free parking available in and around each hub. Metrolink has two conveniently stations conveniently located along the route in Pomona and Claremont.

For More Information:

http://www.CicLAvia.org
https://www.facebook.com/ciclavia
https://twitter.com/ciclavia
https://www.instagram.com/ciclavia/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnNd9dsh_F9uIgG5Kf9YpyA

Inland Pacific Ballet Presents The Nutcracker in Claremont, December 9-10

A Holiday Tradition Returns to the Inland Empire

Enjoy a treasured holiday tradition with family and friends at southern California’s most spectacular production of The Nutcracker from critically acclaimed Inland Pacific Ballet. The Nutcracker comes to life with this magnificent ballet comprised of beautiful sets, dazzling costumes, and more than 80 dancers on stage. This annual performance tells the story of a young girl named Clara who receives a magical nutcracker doll on Christmas Eve and sets out on a wondrous journey to the Land of the Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets. Toy soldiers, life-sized dancing dolls, and a fantastic dream with battling mice, dancing snowflakes, waltzing flowers, and the delightful Sugar Plum Fairy stir the imagination. Meet the cast after the performance for photos and autographs. This is family entertainment at its best.

Bridges Auditorium, Pomona College, 450 North College Way, Claremont, CA 91711

Saturday, December 9, 2017 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 10, 2017 2:00 p.m.

Lewis Family Playhouse, 12505 Cultural Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739

Friday, December 15, 2017                7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 16, 2017            2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 17, 2017             2:00 p.m.

Fox Performing Arts Center, 3801 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside, CA 92501

Friday, December 22, 2017 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 23, 2017 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Information & Tickets: IPBALLET.org; tickets from $39 with senior/child/group discounts available.

Inland Pacific Ballet, is a professional ballet company based in the Inland Empire region of Southern California. The Company is committed to producing exquisitely staged productions of full-length classic story ballets as well as presenting the best in contemporary choreography. Through creative marketing and an extensive Educational Outreach Program, Inland Pacific Ballet strives to introduce new audiences to the magic of ballet, and to make the experience more available and accessible to all. The Company is also committed to the nurturing of new talent and provides an essential training ground for serious young dancers. Inland Pacific Ballet’s Founders/Directors Victoria Koenig and Kevin Frank Myers are southern California natives and bring a wealth of experience to their visionary leadership of the Company.

Over the past 21 years they have built Inland Pacific Ballet into the premier ballet company in the region, enjoying critical acclaim while performing the largest and most varied repertoire in the area. The Company’s repertoire includes such classics as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Les Sylphides, Graduation Ball and Swan Lake Act II. Full length classical masterpieces include Giselle, Coppélia and a lavish production of The Nutcracker. Contemporary classics include seminal works by the legendary George Balanchine including Serenade, Concerto Barocco and Who Cares? and a growing body of original work that includes creative adaptations of much loved stories such as The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast and Dracula.

Boutique Shopping in Claremont: Hen’s Kitchen Shoppe offers a mix for everyone

From Claremont Courier (July 27, 2017)

Hen’s Kitchen Shoppe, which opened on Yale Avenue in spring, is not a traditional kitchen store. Inside, customers can find an eclectic mix of products in a relaxed, homey, boutique-style environment.

The store, opened by long-time friends Mary O’Brien and Laurie Barnett, who also co-own Speckled Hens gift shop, is the only kitchen shop in the Village.

“We love to cook and we love kitchen stuff, and it was something that the Village needed. We don’t have a kitchen shop nearby,” Ms. O’Brien said.

Ms. O’Brien and Ms. Barnett chose to name their shop Hen’s Kitchen to tie it to their original store.

“We were trying to tie Speckled Hens to the kitchen shop so people would know we were all the same thing, so we just played around with names with hens in it,” Ms. O’Brien said.

The store has a different character than most traditional kitchen shops.

“It’s a little more gift-y and boutique-y and it’s us. It’s our taste and the things we love,” Ms. O’Brien said.

The store carries a variety of kitchen items at a range of prices, including cast iron Staub cookware, bone china dishes from England, goods from Etsy stores, some of them homemade, cookbooks, kitchen decoration, basic utensils, tea, spice mixes and a variety of other products. The back section of the store is dedicated to vintage consignment goods.

Ms. O’Brien and Ms. Barnett focused on practicality when stocking the store.

“Everything’s user friendly. Everything is things we all could use, it’s not something you look at and say, ‘What do you use that for?’” Ms. Barnett said.

Most of the items in the store can be used in day-to-day cooking.

“A chef isn’t going to go in there and find everything he needs,” Ms. O’Brien said. “One time a year you make some crazy dish and you need that thing, we don’t really carry that.”

The community’s response to the shop has been positive, and the store has been very busy since it opened.

“We’ve had a really great response to it. People just were so excited that there’s finally something [kitchen-related] here. We’ve never had to reorder so quickly,” Ms. Barnett said.

Customers at the store attest to the excitement that Ms. Barnett described.

“I loved it. It made me want to redo my whole kitchen,” Claremont resident Sharon Hiatt said. “I love that we have shops like this in the Village.”

Ms. O’Brien believes that the store’s look and feel has attracted customers.

“They feel the shop is so light and bright and fresh and everybody’s really welcomed us,” Ms. O’Brien said.

Hen’s Kitchen Shoppe has also welcomed Village residents to the store by hosting weekly sampling events on Saturdays for tea, spice mix and cheese samplings that are open to the Claremont community.

Ms. O’Brien and Ms. Barnett have had their eyes on the space on Yale Avenue in which they opened Hen’s Kitchen Shoppe since 2008, when they opened Speckled Hens.

“We loved that space for nine years. We wanted it for Specked Hens, but we couldn’t get it,” Ms. O’Brien said. “When it came available, we grabbed it. It’s a cute little spot.”

Ms. O’Brien and Ms. Barnett have been friends for 20 years and met through connections through their husbands.

“We got to be really friends at our husbands’ ten-year high school reunion, and it’s been non-stop since,” Ms. O’Brien said.

Hen’s Kitchen Shoppe is located at 141 Yale Ave and is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

—Marc Rod

Popular “Claremont Is The Place to Stay” Guest Package Offered at Claremont Hotels

The popular “Claremont Is the Place to Stay” hotel and gift card package will continue to be offered throughout 2017.

Claremont hotels offer special “Claremont Is the Place to Stay” packages, inspired by the tourism board’s award-winning short that pays homage to film director Wes Anderson. The package includes a comfortable guest room and $100 in Claremont Chamber gift cards – redeemable towards food and services at local hotels, and meals, shopping and services at more than 140 participating Claremont businesses. Guests can redeem cards at many of the city’s most popular eateries, and for nighttime entertainment including lively dueling pianos at PianoPiano, stand-up at Flappers Comedy Club, and live music at The Press Restaurant.

Guests can book directly through participating Claremont hotels: Hotel Casa 425 (909-624-2272), DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Claremont (909-626-2411), Motel 6 Claremont (909-621-4831), Claremont Lodge (909-626-5654), and Knights Inn Claremont (909-626-2431). The package, underwritten by the Claremont tourism board, is subject to availability at each hotel.

Claremont visitor attractions include Folk Music Center, owned by musician Ben Harper and family; Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden; the walkable Claremont Village; Claremont Packing House entertainment and dining center; Candlelight Pavilion dinner theater; vivid examples of California architecture throughout the city and along Historic Route 66; and public walks, galleries and libraries at the Claremont Colleges.

2017 Midsummer Shakespeare Festival in Claremont, Presented by Ophelia’s Jump, Features Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing

Ophelia’s Jump Productions presents the Annual Midsummer Shakespeare Festival with HAMLET and MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. The productions will run July 13-23, 2017 at Sontag Greek Theatre at Pomona College. The festival, co-sponsored by Pomona College, includes exhibits, arts and crafts by community businesses and organizations. Tickets are available at opheliasjump.org, or by calling 909-734-6565.

This year’s Annual Midsummer Shakespeare Festival celebrates what many regard as Shakespeare’s comedic masterpiece, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. Blending elements of drama and comedy, this tale teaches that “love will have its way no matter how much we try to fight it.” In HAMLET, the epic tale of revenge gone awry will be set in the influential period following the First World War, under the stars at the beautiful Sontag Greek Theatre, an outdoor amphitheater originally built in 1910 and renovated in 1997. The productions will be performed in repertory, alternating each night.

ABOUT HAMLET

Set in the Kingdom of Denmark, Hamlet dramatizes the revenge Prince Hamlet is called to wreak upon his uncle, Claudius, by the ghost of Hamlet’s father, King Hamlet. Claudius had murdered his own brother and seized the throne, also marrying his deceased brother’s widow. Hamlet is ranked among the most powerful and influential tragedies in English literature, with a story capable of “seemingly endless retelling and adaptation by others”.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Get ready for the verbal sparring match of the ages! Benedick and Beatrice have sworn off love… and each other. But when their friends and family attempt to con them into a romance, will these acid-tongued cynics take the bait? Mistaken identities, love, hilarity, honor, shame, and partying till the sun comes up are all ingredients for a great time in this rollicking production!

Now a Claremont tradition, Ophelia’s Jump’s Midsummer Shakespeare Festival artfully presents tragedy and comedy under the stars in a beautiful outdoor setting. Each performance opens nightly with a 30-minute Green Show – an entertaining prelude to the evening’s main performance. We invite you to bring your own picnic and don’t forget a small blanket or cushion for added comfort.

Weekend Festival

Title: HAMLET and MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
Directors: Founding Artistic Director Beatrice Casagran (HAMLET) and Founding
Associate Artistic Director Caitlin Lopez (MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING)
Location: Sontag Greek Theatre, Pomona College, 300 East Bonita Ave., Claremont
(located behind Seaver Theatre)
Opening: Thursday, July 13 (MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING) & Friday, July 14 (HAMLET)
Regular Run: July 13-July 23, 2017

Specific Show Schedule:

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING – July 13, 15, 21, 23

HAMLET – July 14, 16, 20, 22

Curtain Times:

Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays at 8 p.m.
Ticket prices: $25 General Admission, $22 Student/Seniors
Group tickets available, contact info@opheliasjump.org or call
909-734-6565 for info

About Ophelia’s Jump

Ophelia’s Jump is a theatre company focused on producing highly-regarded, award-winning works that leave audiences asking questions and discussing big ideas — theatre that invites you to leap into the drama. Our mission is to produce both creative new interpretations of classical and award-winning works, and also new works by talented local and regional artists.

Additional information available at opheliasjump.org

About Pomona College

Additional information available at www.pomona.edu

Claremont Pie Festival Coming March 18, Author Kate McDermott to be Guest Speaker

The 5th Annual Claremont Pie Festival event will take place Saturday, March 18, 2017, throughout the historic Claremont Village. Event hours are 10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

The event features pie-baking and pie-eating contests, makers’ stage and bakers’ stage demonstrations, a classic car display, vintage aprons, handcrafted merchandise, great food, great pie and live music. Stroll around the Claremont Village collecting recipe cards from participating stores, wear your favorite apron, learn pie making tips and eat pie! Don’t forget to stick around for the pie tasting buffet after the baking contest winners are announced!

Famed baker Kate McDermott will be a guest speaker at this year’s festival. For years, the world’s culinary superstars have travelled to
Kate’s legendary workshops and Pie Camps in Port Angeles, Washington, to learn pie-baking secrets from the master. Here is your chance to meet her right here in southern California.

From a self-taught home baker who learned the magic of pie from her grandmother, Kate became a nationally recognized expert on the subject and,since then, thousands have traveled to her famous Pie Cottage to get a taste. In her publishing debut, ART OF THE PIE: A Practical Guide to Homemade Crusts, Fillings, Kate McDermott presents the definitive guide to that simplest and yet most intimidating of pastries—the pie. McDermott explains why the time had come to share her wisdom. “I want to pass on the craft of pie making to as many as I possibly can,” she says. “Since not everyone can join me at my Pie Cottage baking counter, I wrote Art of the Pie so I could ‘join’others at theirs.” Readers expecting a technical pastry manual will be surprised and delighted at ART OF THE PIE. McDermott is an advocate for confidence, flexibility, and fun in piemaking. Her recipes encourage readers to feel the dough, taste the fruit, and develop the intuition that turns a baker from good to great. Her recipes and detailed instructions—as sensible as they are whimsical—will make home cooks feel like they have a helpful grandmother at their elbow offering advice, just as Kate did when just as Kate did when she learned pie baking years ago.

Kate will give a brief talk about her life and her book Art of the Pie, followed by a book signing. Books will be available for purchase (while supplies last).

Cost: Free!

Date: Saturday, March 18, 2017

Time: Noon, Saturday, March 18, 2017

Location: Hotel Casa 425 in the Claremont Village, 425 W 1st St, Claremont, CA 91711.

Kate’s 90-minute Pie Making Demo

Cost to attend: $55

Date: Saturday, March 18, 2017

Time: 1:45 PM, Saturday, March 18, 2017

Location: Hotel Casa 425 in the Claremont Village, 425 W 1st St, Claremont, CA 91711.

For event details, like how to enter the pie baking contest or become a vendor, go to

ClaremontPieFestival.com.