Thanksgiving Pie Pickup Windows in Fort Wayne (2026 Planning Guide)

Thanksgiving is the single busiest baking week of the year at Birdie's Baking Co. — typically 80–120 pies leaving the kitchen between Tuesday morning and Thursday morning of Thanksgiving week. This is the planning guide for customers ordering Thanksgiving pies from our Columbia City kitchen for delivery into the Fort Wayne metro and across northeast Indiana.

When to order

Thanksgiving pie ordering opens early November and closes the Friday before Thanksgiving — or earlier if specific flavors sell out. Apple, pecan, and sugar cream sell out fastest; pumpkin, French silk, and Dutch apple usually have availability through the closing date. Strawberry rhubarb is unavailable for Thanksgiving (out of season).

Pickup windows

• Tuesday before Thanksgiving — 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (lightest day; recommended if you want flexibility).
• Wednesday before Thanksgiving — 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (busiest day; expect a 5–10 minute wait at peak).
• Thursday morning (Thanksgiving Day) — 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM only, by appointment, limited availability.

Most customers pick up Wednesday afternoon. If you can pick up Tuesday, do — your pie is exactly as fresh, you avoid the Wednesday line, and you free up a Wednesday slot for a customer who genuinely needs it.

How storage works between pickup and Thanksgiving Day

• Apple, Dutch apple, cherry, pecan, peanut butter, strawberry rhubarb pies — store at room temperature, covered, for up to 48 hours. No refrigeration needed. Reheat 10–15 minutes at 300 °F before serving for the best texture.
• Sugar cream pie — refrigerate until 1 hour before serving, then bring to room temperature.
• French silk pie — refrigerate continuously and serve cold.
• Pumpkin pie — refrigerate within 2 hours of Wednesday pickup if you are not serving until Thursday.

Pickup logistics on Wednesday

Wednesday is the heavy day. To keep the line moving:

1. Confirm your pickup time when you order. Show up within a 30-minute window of your confirmed slot.
2. Bring your order confirmation. We use it to match the labeled pickup boxes.
3. Pull up close to the kitchen — pickup is curbside on Wednesday to minimize traffic in and out of the home kitchen.
4. Drive carefully. The roads near Columbia City often have light snow or rain in late November; keep pies flat in the back of the vehicle (not on a passenger seat).

What we cannot do for Thanksgiving

• No delivery — pickup-only, in keeping with Indiana's HBV law.
• No same-week new orders. Once we close ordering on the Friday before Thanksgiving, we cannot fit additional pies into the bake schedule.
• No custom flavors during Thanksgiving week. Standard menu only — we are at capacity baking the standard pie list.

Bottom line

Order Thanksgiving pies in early to mid November to lock the flavor and pickup slot you want. Pick up Tuesday if you have flexibility. Email hello@birdiesbakingco.com with your pickup-day preference and pie list, or order online once the Thanksgiving menu is live.