This post was updated May 10 at 12:03 a.m. 

Even from a young age, Evan Kleiman has always loved baking.

As the host of KCRW radio station’s “Good Food,” a program about food, cooking and culture, Kleiman attended the annual celebration of PieFest at Dickson Plaza on April 30. The festival, started by Kleiman in 2009, has activities for everyone, from a cookbook swap to an apron runway.

The event attracted thousands of people to enjoy free slices of pie and learn the stories behind the creations. Aside from partaking in one of the biggest pie competitions, the event offered the public live DJ performances, shopping booths and the opportunity to picnic.

Baking demonstrations began at 12:30 p.m. with chocolatier Ruth Kennison, who taught the process of making chocolate from cocoa bean to bar. Following Kennison, there were presentations such as “Pain-Free Pie with Valerie Gordon” and “The Secrets of Hand Pies with Sherry Yard.”

Kleiman said PieFest is a unique occasion not only for the bakers, but also for the judges, as it is rare for many professional chefs to have a chance to socialize with one another.

“I think it’s a really joyful event. It’s sort of the epitome of a family festival,” she added.

The day revolved around a central pie contest, for which tasting commenced around 3 p.m. Kleiman – an arts management and Italian literature and film alumnus – said the event included 30 judges and nine categories of pie, with more than 500 pies being entered from various chefs.

“This is an opportunity for them (the judges) to gather and engage in the most arcane arguments over the minutiae of their craft,” Kleiman said.

Each person received two tasting tickets to try two pieces of pie.

Maré Villagrana, a third-year sociology student, said they came to the event to sample new pies, as they had only ever tried chocolate pies before. They added that the PieFest allows an opportunity for people to step away from academic studies and focus on time for themselves.

The categories for the contest ranged from fruity to savory pies, with a special lineage section dedicated to Los Angeles artist Amir H. Fallah’s “The Fallacy of Borders,” a current exhibition at the Fowler Museum at UCLA highlighting Hallah’s Iranian American heritage and other cultures in Los Angeles. Bakers who entered the lineage category were encouraged to create edible stories about their culture.

Angelina Louise Alejar, a contestant, baked a turon saldang pie, which incorporated the traditional flavors of the Filipino egg roll dessert, using jackfruit and cassava for the base along with caramelized plantains and filo dough.

Alejar said her desire to share delicious yet overlooked Filipino flavors prompted her submission in the lineage category.

“It (the contest) feels like sitting in water and waiting for sharks to pounce because everybody wants pie, and everybody feels really excited,” she added.

Will Nichols, a contestant, baked a cajun custard pie inspired by his hometown in Louisiana. He added that food is a way for him to connect with others, as he doesn’t often meet other people from Louisiana in California.

Gitu Mehra, another contestant who entered the lineage category, said her pie attempted to capture the flavor of her favorite tea cake snack from Singapore called kueh salat. She wanted to create an unforgettable dessert using bold ingredients like durian, a fruit known for its strong scent and intense taste, Mehra added.

Anna Chang, a world arts and cultures alumnus and assistant producer in KCRW’s music department, said the PieFest allowed people to enjoy themselves and reunite post-pandemic. She added that it is a celebration of one of the most beloved foods worldwide, drawing individuals of all ages.

“This event is just a testament to the LA community and spirit coming together and gathering around something as simple but as universal as pie,” Chang said. “Pie is such a homey and familiar dish that anyone from any culture, any background can experience and love.”