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All things squash celebrated at 2nd annual Zucchini Festival

When gardens overflow with zucchini, we might as well throw a party for it.

Pine River Public Library hosted its second annual Zucchini Festival on Sunday.

There were competitions for local chefs and community cooks, along with prizes for best decorated, carved and ugliest zuke.

The lone entry in the ugliest zuke category sported some duct tape, along with this helpful note:

"I may be ugly, but I'm a survivor. Attacked by a weed whacker 8/22/16."

Sunday being the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorism attacks, there also was a period of silence as a bell was rung in memory of the people who died that day.

In addition to fun squash contests, a wide variety of zucchini dishes were served.

In the Iron Chef cooking competition judged by Chef Arnold Safari from the Strater Hotel, the political team of Commissioner Julie Westendorff and Bayfield Town Board Trustee Kelly Polites won for their zucchini boats with different stuffings of cheese and sausage.

Upper Pine River Fire Protection District Fire Marshal Tom Kaufman won second place from Chef Safari, along with the people's choice award for his green chili chicken cheese soup, which included zucchini for this event.

Pine River Library Garden Club members Jojo Dideles and Andrew Trujillo served lettuce wraps with quinoa, zucchini and savory toppings, taking third place in both categories.

Before the Iron Chef contest, several community members brought in dishes for a community potluck and community cooking contest.

Festival-goers voted for their favorite dish in several categories.

Winners are:

Best appetizer

First - Debbie Pennington - zucchini relish

Second - LeeAnne and Ivy Jack - spicy zucchini dip

Third - Darcy Poletti Harp - garlic and basil marinated zucchini.

Best main dish

First - Momentum Fitness - zucchini pesto pasta

Second - Bonnie Cotton - squash stew with elk

Third - Sue Lomperis - zucchini curry.

Best dessert

First - Linda Stoltz - zucchini-carrot cake

Second - AJ's Greenhouse - zucchini cobbler

Third - Andrew Trujillo -brown butter zucchini cupcakes.

Other contests winners are:

Best dressed zucchini

First - Noel Bryant

Second - Michaela Wilson

Third - Rose Hines

Biggest zucchinni

First - Sandy Thompson

Second - Dreya and Drew

Third - Katie Middleton.

Best carved zucchini

First - Claire Thompson

Second - Mini Jack

Third - Ivy Higman.