PLUM FEST

Plum Festival originated at Old World, Huntington Beach in 1995.

The Plum Festival originated in 1995 at Old World Huntington Beach, as a heartfelt tribute by the Bischof family to their beloved Grandmother Elly Schwarzer. Elly, renowned for her mouthwatering "Pflaumenkuchen" (Plum Cake), would bake it each year for her daughter Dolores's birthday in August, coinciding with the season of these special Italian plums. A treasured tradition was born.

When Dolores was 5 years old, she and her mother Elly went on holiday to Germany in 1939.

During World War II, when Dolores was just 5 years old, she and her mother found themselves stuck in Germany due to the circumstances of the war. As Dolores celebrated her birthday, separated from her mother in a "Kinderheim" due to excessive bombing, she was disheartened by the thought of missing her beloved mother and the possibility of not having her cherished plum cake. Determined to keep her promise, Elly managed to procure enough plums and, through a kind American soldier, delivered the unforgettable Plum Cake to her daughter. This remarkable cake became the centerpiece of Dolores's birthday celebrations every year. Even in their reunion, Elly vowed to continue baking the Plum Cake for Dolores, a promise she kept until her final days at the age of 100.

The Italian Plums are seasonable and harvested in August. When that plum cake came out of her oven, baked with yeast dough and plenty of plums on top, friends and neighbors would come by and enjoy this baked delight. 

Following Elly's passing, Dolores feared that the tradition of her birthday Plum Cake would fade away. She said “OH NO, Who is going to bake my plum cake for my birthday now?” 

In response, the family entrusted the cherished recipe to the bakers at the Old World Bakery, ensuring the tradition's continuity. Dolores, the esteemed First Lady of Old World Village, passed away in 2010, and the Plum Festival serves as an annual homage to her and her mother, Elly. The family is forever thankful that this festival exists honoring our Grandmother Elly and our Mother Dolores.

We thought if Garden Grove can have a Strawberry Festival, why can’t Huntington Beach start a Plum Fest.

So we did, we asked our Bakery to make the special Plum cake, we also make a Plum Strudel, flamed Plum Crepes, German donuts filled with Plum jam, made by our own bakery team. We of course also serve Chicken, Brats, Hamburgers, etc., around this eatery we strike up the band, who will get your toes a tapping, we invite a folk dance group, and for the kids we have a bouncy house and game booths. For all we provide a good time.