CALUMET -- A larger crowd than ever showed up for the 8th Annual Pasty Fest in the Keweenaw this weekend.
Several thousand pasties were made just for the event. But many say the celebration isn't about the taste of the pasty but the meaning behind it, and if you're a pasty fanatic, there may be no better day to enjoy a few with friends.
"I'm the walking pasty, and I'm all about the pasties," says Tovio.
It's the kind of thing that brings pasty lovers out by the thousands, and Saturday just might have broken records.
"It's safe to say we do have thousands," says Tom Tikkanen of Calumet Main Street.
Vendors started preparing last month for the festival--they'll sell thousands today--and some of these aren't your grandmother's pasties.
A pasty fest crowd favorite continued this year: the non-traditional category of the pasty bake-off.
"Pizza, turkey pasties, fruit pasties, there's a lot of different ones that are really good," says Doug Harrer, a competition judge. "It's surprising what people can come up with."
Which can lead to some pretty unique recipes...
"Last year we had a liver pasty," he said. "I don't like liver, but I tried it."
This party isn't just about the taste, it's about the meaning behind those stuffed delights.
"Pasties bring back a lot of memories of family," says Charlie Chopper of Pasty Central.
Main Street Calumet is already gearing up for Pasty Fest 2012. They're hoping to continue to add more new events, vendors, and, of course, pasties.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWLUC