WBKR Host's Love Letter to Tell City's Schweizer Fest

I have been in the radio business for 28 years now. Earlier this week, Tell City, Indiana reminded me why I still do what I do.

Wednesday evening, my morning show co-host Mary-Katherine Maddox and I headed to Tell City's Schweizer Fest to compete in the 7th Annual Behind the Times Bakery Pie Eating Contest. There, we and our fellow competitors were tasked with trying to eat a four-pound blueberry pie in about eight minutes. I have done some crazy-ass stuff during my broadcasting career, but this may take the cake. Er, I mean pie.

Here's the BEFORE photo!

Here's the AFTER photo!

Yes, I know. We look a hot mess and, well, we were. But I'm proud of us. I'm even gonna take a second and brag a bit. The contest forced us both out of our self-imposed comfort zones. Mary-Katherine overcame her disdain for hearing other people chew. I know. That sounds weird, but trust me. It's a thing.

Personally speaking, I overcame the very prissy way I normally eat. You may think this is ridiculous, but I cannot stand having food on my hands and I use a fork and knife to eat everything. However, in Tell City, I put my hands behind my back and head butted my way into that blueberry pie like a mountain goat.

I was also pleasantly surprised at my performance. I ate three of the pie's four pounds. For my standards, I crushed that contest and the crap out of that blueberry pie. I showed that thing who its daddy was. And, yesterday morning, it took all that control back when I gave birth to a small Smurf.

But, it was worth it. MKat and I left Schweizer Fest with blueberries in our nostrils, our eyeballs, our foreheads, hair, and ears. She may have even had some in her cleavage.

But the most important thing we left with was the people of Tell City in our hearts. They had us smiling the whole way home. Honestly, I've been smiling since we left.

See, for me, this was a bit of a homecoming. I never lived in Tell City, but I grew up with a bunch of relatives who did. I was flashing back to my childhood when we drove through Troy en route last night. My great grandparents were Ethel and Irvin Lindauer and they lived in the heart of Troy for my entire childhood. I can't tell you the last time I spent any amount of time in Troy, but I am now wondering when in my life I quit going.

I have cousins, a bunch of them, that still live in or near Tell City. Though I don't make it there as often as I should, I was reminded last night that it's still in my blood. Life's funny that way. It will take you places you never thought you'd go and pull you away from places that you wonder why you left. It was so nice to be back last night. Chad the adult almost immediately reconnected with Chad the kid.

On our way out, we said goodbye to Mayor Chris Cail and his husband Bradley. I have known Brad for years. My radio station used to host a haunted house adventure called Hell on Wheels. The first time I met Bradley was at our stop at the Industrial Nightmare outside of Louisville. He was running around the exterior of the Terrorplex trying to escape someone who was chasing him with some sort of power tool. He was (and still is) hilarious.

Since then, I have become friends with (and a fan of) Chris because of him and I have to say this. It's been a pleasure watching Chris do some incredible things in Tell City. I'm proud of Tell City for electing him and I equally proud of Chris for his leadership.

Of course, last night, there were dozens and dozens of Tell City folk leading and working together to make Schweizer Fest incredible and it was.

On our way to the parking lot, MKat and I were walking through the carnival. She said, "This feels like a movie. Look at this! This should be in a movie."

She's right. Tell City rolled out the red carpet and poured on the charm Wednesday. Over the course of my career, I have participated in a ton (well over a thousand) of community events. Tell City's Schweizer Fest, with its wildly popular pie eating contest, is now all-time Top 5. No question.

For me, Tell City is what Small Town U.S.A. is supposed to be. I looked around and saw a wide variety of folks, from all walks of life, enjoying each other's company in the same place and time. Some were eating from the nonprofit food booths. Some were just hanging out and talking. Others were listening intently as Mayor Cail named and recognized the 2026 Distinguished Citizen. Others got into their purses and wallets and gave me money when I put my contest tip jar in their faces and boisterously demanded a donation for United Way.

And then, right around 7:30, you know what happened? Virtually everyone - and I mean everyone - came together in the heart of Tell City for pie. What's more delicious, small town, and American than that?