Games, Live Music, Free Lunch, Apple Pie Bake-off and Health Fair Highlight Senior Fun Day

Games, live music, free lunch, an apple pie bake-off and a health fair highlight Senior Fun Day starting at 9:30 a.m. today at the , 500 West Main St.

The free event, which runs until 6 p.m., is sponsored by the Wentzville Area Senior Services, Inc (WASSI). The primary goal is for seniors 60 and older, and disabled people of all ages, to have a good time.

"It just gives them a fun day and shows we appreciate them," said Rev. Lloyd Hackbarth, who is on the WASSI board of directors.

The health fair gets the ball rolling from 9:30 until noon, with numerous booths representing retirement communities, assisted living, hospice and senior services. There will even be information about keeping cool during the summer.

"One of the things we know is a concern to seniors right now, because of the extreme heat, is their electric utility bills," said Dianna Wright, who is the Wentzville city administrator and also on the WASSI board. "So there’ll be some representatives there talking to seniors about some of the programs Ameren has, should their electric utility bill be excessive."

Seniors will learn who to contact and what resources are available to help them afford to keep the air-conditioning on.

"We know it’s a tough time right now, with this horrible heat we’ve been having," Wright said. "Unfortunately, seniors have a tendency, because they get afraid of that, they don’t use their air conditioners. Then you run into health problems."

A couple of seminars will also be available, including "How to Get Over the Senior Blues." A free lunch should help brighten everyone’s outlook. It will include fried chicken, potato salad, coleslaw, salad and dessert, plus drinks. Lunch music will be provided by a group of area senior musicians.

After lunch, the games begin, with indoor and outdoor activities. On the agenda are bocci, croquet, washers, Bingo, and a version of cake walk, which is like musical chairs.

The apple pie bake-off is open to participants age 60 and older. Contestants can bring their homemade apple pies to the community center from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and "blind taste" judging begins at 1:15 p.m. Pies will be judged on appearance, taste, crust and texture. Taste and texture are important.

"We take a little sliver from each pie, and each judge gets just a little bit, to taste the apple and the juice and the crust," Wright said. "They’ll be looking to make sure there are no store-bought pies. They’ll be looking to see that the crust is flaky, not burnt. They’ll be tasting the apples, seeing that they are not mushy but not too hard. We give them some guidelines, but obviously, it’s subjective."

The top three pies will win ribbons, and prizes and will be auctioned off to benefit WASSI. All other pies will be available to sample from 3-6 p.m. during the pie and ice cream social that concludes the event.

For more information about the event, call 636-327-5101.