Event Updates

Check back here, sign up for the Pix newsletter on our CONTACT PAGE, and follow us on Instagram @thebigportlandbakeshow

 The Big Portland Bake Show

On your marks, get set, bake!

Get your showstopper cakes and signature bakes ready and join us in the tent at Pix Pâtisserie. This summer Pix is recreating the celebrated Great British Bake Off, where six aspiring amateur bakers will come together for a series of two-day friendly, fun, and delicious competitions each month. While the bakers are mixing away and checking their oven bakes, we invite the curious spectator to come cheer them on! The watch party will be happening throughout the competition and audience participation will be encouraged with trivia, spectator “challenges”, raffle prizes and, of course, a little taste testing.

Don’t miss the Shake and Bake Happy Hour each afternoon after the competition for shaken cocktails by resident Can Bar, and an opportunity to meet the baking contestants in a Q&A, all accompanied by rhythm and grooves from DJ Action Slacks (Saturdays) and bossa nova tunes from Steve Cheseborough and Trio Açaí (Sundays). Hungry? Grab a housemade dessert from the Pix-O-Matics, or snacks from one of our collaborators, including Sichuan chef Rita Jia You of Portland’s incredibly missed Lucky Strike restaurant, and a few other surprises along the way. Free admission and all ages.

Competition Dates - There are three separate competitions, each lasting two days.

June 27 & 28

July 18 & 19

August 29 & 30

Reserved Seating

 The Big Portland Bake Show is free and open to all ages. Seats are available on a first come, first served basis (saving seats is not allowed.) A limited number of reserved seats are available for purchase for the following time slots:

Saturday Morning (7/18 or 8/29) 9AM – 1PM           $30

Saturday Afternoon (7/18 or 8/29) 1:30PM – 5PM    $30

Sunday (7/19 or 8/30), 10AM – 5PM                          $40

A Note About Free Seating: IF WE ARE AT CAPACITY…

We would like to give as many people as possible the chance to experience the show and cheer on any contestant they may be there to support. So, in the event the show is at capacity we will ask the general public to depart after the first half of the Saturday show, and then usher in a new live audience for the second half. You are welcome to get back into the line to see the second half of the show assuming there are spaces available.

Meet the July Contestants

Get to know a bit about our July contestants:

Meet the July Competition Judges

Cheryl Wakerhauser

Creator of Pix Pâtisserie, the Pix-O-Matic and now, The Big Portland Bake Show…while semi-retired, she can’t resist coming back from time to time to bring a bit of fun your way. Cheryl honed her pastry skills at the pâtisserie of famed MOF Philippe Urraca in Southern France.

Cheryl likes: a “just put out” Portland Free Box, French puppet shows in Parisian parks, impromptu dance parties, cleaning the house

Cheryl dislikes: People that don’t take the right of way, running up hill, online surveys, windowless airplane “window seats”

Katie Roberts

Katie is a former Wisconsinite turned Oregonian who is still in it for the cheese. She has worked at Pix for 10 years and has somehow only memorized one recipe. She spends her free time outside hiking and camping or inside reading and eating cookies. Her life is very exciting, she swears. 

Katie likes: travelling for snacks, reading under a leafy tree, naps, cats, naps WITH cats

Katie dislikes: being cold and wet simultaneously, incessant beeping, spelling errors, getting bonked on the head, the wind

Diane Morgan

Diane Morgan is the award-winning author of 18 cookbooks, including Roots: The Definitive Compendium with more than 225 Recipes. Roots won the prestigious James Beard award for vegetable focused and vegetarian cookbooks, in addition to a coveted IACP Cookbook Award in the single subject category. The New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, among others named Roots one of the top cookbooks of the year.

Diane’s focus now is on mentoring writers, teaching recipe writing workshops, and editing cookbooks for traditional publishers and for freelance writers seeking to self-publish their own cookbook.  Her website is: dianemorgancooks.com.

Diane likes: Without question-- dark chocolate; dogs with whiskers and attitude; gardening, and organizing my closets

Diane dislikes: Overly sweet desserts; sad salads; Jerusalem artichokes and jicama because they contain inulin which is difficult to digest!

Michael Zusman

Michael Zusman has worked as a freelance food and restaurant writer in Portland for 25 years. He is also a serious bread baker and enjoys traveling anywhere in the world where he can eat well.

Michael likes: stinky cheese; cured meats; club soda with bitters, preferably Peychaud's; pai gow tiles

Michael dislikes: bad writing, influencers, self-described "foodies," leg day

Meet Your Hosts

Madi Lenseigne

I’m Madi and I’m a PNW native, growing up in central WA and moved to Portland to pursue my baking passion. I’ve worked in the food industry, primarily bakeries, for 14 years. I currently work in pet care, still baking and whipping up desserts on the side— and now a host for the Big Portland Bake Show!

Madi Likes: listening to birds outside, those sleepy barks when a dog is dreaming

Madi dislikes: robot captchas, especially if they have 1 enlarged photo that you have to select multiple of (select all fire hydrants and there is only 1 large fire hydrant that you must then section off), stuffed crust…what’s the deal?

Cari Carter

Creativity meets playtime in this bigger than life supporter of all things local. From Portland wrestling and dark dive bars to fine art and exquisite pastries (manipulate her with muffins!) Cari is out there declaring “5 Stars” and chef’s kisses to everyone who will listen! A lifelong creative entrepreneur, she’s currently the visionary behind Magic Box Vending machines; where you can find quality kitsch, locally made art, and knick-knackery in over 60 locations throughout the US via her Vending Machine empire, Magic Box Vending. Cari, do you bake? Absolutely not, but I love baked goods!

Cari likes: the Portland trailblazers, kissing small dogs, eating frosting off of cupcakes

Cari dislikes: Prog Rock, Flip flops, Cilantro

Jeremy Daniels

Jeremy is a nationally renowned chef and business owner (Viking Soul Food) who worships on and off the clock at the altar of smoked meats, aged cheeses and crusty homemade sourdough. He may be classically trained, but Jeremy is a heart-centered weirdo who includes “soulful” in his definition of excellence. A perfect blend of particular and playful, he’s here to find Portland’s finest - and funniest - home baker."

Jeremy likes: sharing good food/stories/hearty laughs with good people, indulging in excellent cheese and bread, role playing games…NERD ALERT! Provide me with the opportunity to fire lightning bolts through my fingertips while wearing a pointy wizard hat and flowing robes, and I just can't turn it down

Jeremy dislikes: mean people, food made without love and care…you can always tell, unexpectedly grabbing something that's sticky like a honey bottle that someone forgot to wipe down

Food Partners

Musical Acts

DJ Action Slacks (Saturday Afternoons)

Through radio (KAOS, KMHD, XRAY.fm) and live events, DJ Action Slacks spins vintage vinyl for modern times in a variety of genres though she specializes in midcentury dance records from around the world (1950s-1970s). Her sets uplift while connecting listeners to the historical moments that shaped the present, sharing the stories of under recognized musicians who helped mold our culture. And beyond all of that, at the most basic level, she just loves to GROOVE you!

Steve Cheseborough and Trio Açaí (Sunday Afternoons)

Trio Açai explores classic bossa nova sounds – great music for dancing, contemplating the sea, or just enjoying life! Steve Cheseborough (vocals, guitar), known for playing the blues, got hooked on Brazilian music a few years ago and went with it, heart and soul. Lindsay Hess (cello), classically trained and New Orleans-schooled, applies her creativity in strange and wonderful ways. Keegan Leonberg (percussion), one of Portland’s most in-demand drummers, adds his subtle yet powerful pulse to this project.

SPONSORS:

Meet the June Contestants

Meet the June Contestants

Bettina Megowan

I was born and raised in a small town in Germany’s Black Forest. We were only about 20 miles from Strasbourg, France and Basel, Switzerland was also very close. So our region, while still very “German,” was also heavily influenced by French and Swiss cultural (and culinary) traditions. My dad worked in a bakery right after WWII, so baking was a very significant part of his life and for our whole family.

Both of my parents were athletes and coaches. My Dad was a handball player and referee, my mother, on the other hand, was a teacher and a rhythmic gymnastics coach. So as a kid, I was always surrounded by athletes. I loved rhythmic gymnastics and I worked my way up until I was a member of the German National team. I competed in

the World Championships in Spain and many other international tournaments, which allowed me to see much of the world — Korea, Japan, India, Egypt, Israel, New Zealand, Canada, and Brazil, as well as all of Europe, of course. I went to the University of Freiburg to get my teaching license and spent an exchange year at OSU in Corvallis. I fell in love with Oregon but had to come back to finish my degree in Freiburg. Fortunately, I met my husband shortly after my return who was at that time in Germany as an exchange student. Once we got married, we settled in Oregon where we raised our three daughters and tried to pass on the traditions we love so much - sports, teaching, baking, and a bi-lingual, bi-cultural approach to life. Because my husband and I are both public school teachers (he teaches high school, I teach elementary PE), we’ve made it a point to travel as much as possible with the kids during the Summers! Luckily, we still visit Germany fairly often, so my connection to my family (and to European food culture) has remained strong. The first stop for us after arriving at the Frankfurt airport is always a good bakery to buy a Laugenbrezel with butter, which is something I do miss quite a bit here in the United States. 

When I am not baking (or teaching), I also sew as often as I can, specializing in cross-back aprons and German cherry-pit pillows (which are like heating pads). This might seem very specific, but I have my own Etsy store and these items are by far the most popular! My girls have loved them (as much as I have as a kid) for stomach aches or cold feet :).

Gab Anaya

My name is Gab and aside from baking, horror and exploring is my life! I started Salem Horror Club in 2023 as a way for me to make friends since moving to Oregon from California without knowing anyone. We do everything from movie watch parties to street clean-ups to "scary-oke" at our local dive bar. My community of friends is stronger than anything negative I've encountered and they mean the world to me. 

I am a practicing kitchen witch, to me this means that every ingredient I use comes with a purpose to help me create the life I would like to live. I work with Freya who is the goddess of love, beauty and seior. Some might imagine this as me cackling over a big pot and whispering funny things... that is maybe only the case half the time! 

In my baking, I like to use ingredients used in spellwork for different deities and purposes. For example, one of my favorite cookies I have in rotation is a "hex-away" inspired spell that also happens to be delicious.

Pre-Covid, I was an English teacher in the French countryside (Limoges), which I thought would be my life career. I traveled through a majority of western Europe while living there, which was a huge inspiration for my baking and way of living. In France, you take life slowly and enjoy the little things everyday. 

I am a cat mom to two beautiful (and spoiled...) cats- Ozzie and Daisy. 

In my free time while not baking or working, I like to kayak, rockhound on the Willamette river, do witchy things with my coven of friends, or curl up with a candle and spooky lo-fi music while reading my newest addition to my collection of horror literature.

 I got in to rockhounding thanks to my boyfriend of two years, Jeff. He showed me the ropes on where to look and the types of rocks he's interested in and it ended up becoming a big part of my life immediately. We easily spend hours on the river looking for "the rock of the day". Jeff is my best friend- we do everything together.

In addition to pretty rocks, I also have an affinity for collecting other things that people may pass up on. I have a collection of vintage Kewpie dolls and I have also recently started collecting the creepiest porcelain dolls I can get my hands on. Last month, I bought a vintage baby stroller with a few loose ceramic baby doll heads in it on Marketplace!

I am so excited to be able to express my horror-ific personality in my baking and I can't wait to compete! 

Alex Yatsko

Alex is a hospice Registered Nurse based in Oregon, bringing the same care and intentionality he offers his patients into everything he does — including the kitchen. With a clinical background spanning oncology, dialysis, and end-of-life care, Alex has spent his career showing up for people during some of life's hardest moments. It's meaningful, demanding work, and baking is how he leaves it at the door.

Alex grew up in the Pittsburgh area and trained as a nurse there, building experience before the pandemic turned him into a travel nurse and eventually delivered him to Oregon — a happy accident he has no intention of reversing. Four years in, he's still a little in love with the fact that he can finish a morning hike through Silver Falls and be back in his kitchen by noon.

And the kitchen is very much where Alex lives. He doesn't just bake — he cooks, he hosts, and he feeds people. Dinner parties are no stranger to him, and with fifty percent Serbian heritage in his blood, he knows his way around a hearty European meal. Cabbage rolls, palachinka,  rich stews, the kind of food that fills a room with warmth before it even hits the table. Food, for Alex, has always been about bringing people together.

He holds triple citizenship in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, and he takes full advantage of it. Last year he treated himself to two weeks of solo travel through the UK — wandering through Northern Ireland, Wales, England, and Scotland. Alex shows his appreciation for experiencing culture through food. He's also been studying Spanish with a one-on-one tutor for the past year.

When he's not hiking, baking, cooking, or conjugating verbs, Alex is probably at a show — or planning to be at one. He's an avid musical theater fan, a devoted Drag Race viewer, a performer himself, and this year he's got concert tickets scattered across the calendar to see Hilary Duff, Robyn, and The Head and the Heart, among others. He most recently took the stage himself as Prince Herbert in Spamalot at the Majestic Theater in Corvallis, fully committed and not taking a single moment too seriously.

Alex is both excited and genuinely stunned to find himself competing in the Great Portland Baking Show. He comes to the tent with patience, a steady hand, and a deep love of bringing people together around food. He's here to bake his best, try something new, and maybe put on a little bit of a show while he's at it.

Abi Bethea

Born and raised in Georgia, Abi has always had a close relationship with butter and sugar. She started baking at a young age but never quite got the hang of following a recipe, for better or worse (the Bethea family still references the tragic “boingy bread” incident of 2005). Inspired by the show Pushing Daisies, she started making pie as a teenager and made that her entire personality for a few years. As an adult, she’s maintained the belief that any kind of day can be improved with a little treat, and just recently got back into the swing of baking.

After living in East Tennessee and San Diego, she landed in Portland in 2021. Her home is shared with boyfriend Nas(who, it must be mentioned, has been incredibly supportive of the recent piles of baking dishes and incessant recipe brainstorming over the last few weeks–he’s a gem) and their four beloved chaos goblins (dogs named Moose & Mogwai, and cats named Olly & Rowan). The rest of the Bethea family is on the East Coast and she misses them very much. Abi’s a proud aunt to Easton, Genevieve, Beckett, and Henley. Thankfully, she has tickets to see Hilary Duff with her siblings later this summer. They’re all looking forward to learning what dreams are made of.

Abi has a dual Bachelors in Fine Arts and Psychology and wisely puts those degrees to use by consuming quite a bit of reality television (it’s fine art, really). She’s also an avid reader and is usually either reading a fantasy book or yapping about one. Since she hasn’t figured out how to live on these hobbies alone, she works as an executive assistant.  

Some of her other favorite things are: cheese, patio weather, weekly brunch, extra dirty martinis, musicals (what she lacks in pitch she makes up in enthusiasm), walks in Laurelhurst Park, theme parties, Halloween, a cozy mystery, Dolly Parton, and meeting your dog. 

Michelle Wald

For the past year she’s been spending much of her time creating Happy Alley. This began as a fun idea with a friend to bring joy to the neighborhood by brightening up a formerly neglected alleyway, and has grown to be a full transformation from nearly unpassable walkway to highly sought after community gathering space. It’s a rewarding passion project that keeps growing, so tune in to @happyalleypdx for ongoing updates…

Aside from painting alleys she keeps the creative spirit flowing with custom pen and ink line drawings, weekly “watercolor Wednesday” sessions with friends, and any DIY project she can dream up.  She especially enjoys finding resourceful solutions and reusing unexpected materials, participating heavily in the robust Portland upcycle scene.

Although temporarily sidelined with injury, Michelle participates in local basketball and futsal leagues,  plays the occasional tennis match, runs a little, and walks a lot!  She can be seen cycling around town on the regular and will happily hop on a bike over get in the car any day. She also enjoys hiking and spending time in the great outdoors with her partner, and they’ve even tackled several multi-day treks in pretty stunning locations. 

Her fabulous friend groups provide endless entertainment.  Some highlights include stuffing her face on themed food crawls, wracking her brain at pub trivia, picking berries on Sauvie Island, and eating ice cream … lots of ice cream!

Chris Mortali

After travelling through 45 US states living out of his beat up Subaru, Chris is new to Portland and looking for his next adventure.

From designing vending machine science museums in Brooklyn to foraging food in the Colorado rocky mountains, Chris loves to blend creativity, curiosity, and the bizarre.

When he isn’t baking, you can find Chris reading, gardening, or hiking with his giant dog, Lou.

Chris likes: Food trucks, one horse towns, oddity shops, slobbery dogs, long drives, and camp sites with no cell service.

Chris dislikes: Radio static, functional fixedness, and burnt coffee.