Gingerbread Ninja

ChristmasVille, South Carolina 2008 Gingerbread House Contest

What do award-winning gingerbread bakers look like? Here's a fine-looking group below. This year's ChristmasVille gingerbread house entry form can be downloaded here. Contest entries will be displayed in the Gettys Center on Main Street, downtown Rock Hill, from December 4 through December 7. Fire up your ovens and get ready to compete!

Below is one of the 2007 entries, an Elf Schoolhouse with a candy cane slide at right. Looks like the school marm and kids are made from marzipan or fondant.

I've spent some time in Charleston, SC (beautiful town, great carriage ride!), but have not yet had the pleasure of visiting Rock Hill. ChristmasVille looks like a big undertaking with a magnificent art fair, a house tour, gnome sculpting, miniature golf tournament, Festival of Trees wine tasting, Jingle Bell Jazz, and of course, the Gingerbread House Contest. So many activities are planned that my fingers are too tired to type them all. I want to go! 

Award Winning Gingerbread

The Grove Park Inn National Gingerbread Competition is just around the corner. No doubt bakers and gingerbread artists are toiling away right now in their kitchens making all sorts of intricate pieces. It's always amazing to see all the new ideas year after year in this highly competitive event. 

At left is the 2007 First Place winner in the adult division. Crafted by Billie Mochow of Burns, TN, this gingerbread snow globe is spectacular. I've tried molding gingerbread into round, curved shapes and it isn't easy. Every inch of this piece is precise and perfect, from the tiny houses in the globe to the trees at its base. 

Read all about this year's National Gingerbread Competition and get ready for a great holiday season. The economy is in the doldrums, but a gingerbread project doesn't have to be expensive. Just use the stuff around your house and gather the whole family together to help. It'll be one of those memories that money can't buy. 

Photo courtesy of the Grove Park Inn National Gingerbread Competition via romanticasheville.com.

Conner Prairie Gingerbread Competition 2008

Heat up your ovens. The spectacular Gingerbread Village Competition is about to get underway at Conner Prairie in Fishers, Indiana. Oh yeah, I'm a Hoosier. And I've been to Conner Prairie on many occasions. It's a great place to go back in time, learn about history and have fun with the family. Did I mention the time my sister, Erin, and I nearly got tossed from the place? No, I'll spare you the details. 

The contest is open to professionals, culinary students, scout groups, and non-professional groups and individuals. Competition is usually fierce. View last year's winners on flickr and notice all the fine fondant people, the delicate green dragon and little kiddies tucked under their quilts. Visions of sugarplums, indeed.  Download the entry form and hurry! Deadline is October 17.

The Science of Gingerbread: Discovery Science Center's Gingerbread Competition

Folks around Santa Ana, California get their curiosity going at the Discovery Science Center, which is instantly recognizable from the freeway by its unique architectural feature: The Cube, a 10-story square structure sitting on one of its points. I wonder if a cube will show up at this year's annual Science of Gingerbread competition? 

This Zamboni ice resurfacing machine is one of my favorites from last year's contest, where it grabbed the Most Original Award. 

Almost all gingerbread contests include originality as a major criteria for judging. Picking an out-of-the-ordinary theme or structure for your contest entry is a good start. Executing it in a meticulous and creative manner will propel you to the top of the competition. Download the Science of Gingerbread entry form here. (Photo courtesy Discovery Science Center.)

PPG Gingerbread House & Train Display

PPG Place has been described as a majestic, six-building complex on a three city block site in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh. The Gingerbread House & Train Display runs November 21 through January 7, Wintergarden and Two PPG Place. You can find entry details and a link to the 2007 winners gallery here. Proceeds from the sale of the houses will benefit the Children's Hospital Free Care Fund.

Augusta Museum Holiday Gingerbread Village Competition

Replicas of historic buildings in the Central Savannah River area will soon be on display at the Augusta Museum in Augusta, Georgia. You can put your skills to good use in this ambitious competition, open to amateurs and professionals. Village structures will be purchased through silent auction at the end of the event, with proceeds benefiting the programs of the museum. For an entry form and list of historic buildings in the area, visit the museum's website. The Holiday Gingerbread Villlage will be on display November 10-30.

HATAS Fundraiser. Home Sweet Gingerbread Home!

The Homeless and Travelers Aid Society (HATAS) has served the New York State Capital District since 1924, helping the poor, homeless and others get back on their feet. What better way to do this than with the 3rd Annual Home Sweet Gingerbread Home, a fundraiser for HATAS housing services? If you feel like whipping up a fabulous house to benefit people who need housing, themselves, you'll find entry forms and info about the gingerbread contest and auction on the HATAS website. Meanwhile, here's my favorite masterpiece from last year's spirited competition, called Fortress of Solitude. 

Rotary Club of South Jacksonville 2008 Gingerbread House Extravaganza

This contest is a fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House, HabiJax and other charities in the Jacksonville area, so it's a winner all the way around. In past years, entries have included gingerbread versions of popular Jacksonville landmarks, holiday scenes and even an aircraft carrier. I am amazed by this view of what I believe is Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, where the Jags play. It's included on their website with pics of previous years' entries.

Look closely and you'll see that the crowd is made up of gummy bears, all carefully placed in an upright position. How many hours did that take to complete? Geeze, we do love us our gingerbread. Go to the website of the Rotary Club of South Jacksonville for entry info. 

Cleveland Christmas Connection 2008 Gingerbread House Contest Entry Information

Woo-hoo! It always seems that once August is gone, the next four months simply fly by. Gingerbread season is coming fast, people, so it's time to start gathering your tools, recipes and clever ideas. You'll find the rules and entry form for the 2nd Annual Cleveland Christmas Connection Gingerbread House Contest right here.

Entries must be completely edible and are judged on overall appearance, creativity, difficulty, and precision. Love that surf shack above with its Rice Krispy treat beach. (Photo courtesy Cleveland Christmas Connection.)

In Praise of the Pretzel Fence

The lowly pretzel takes on a whole new look when you use it to construct a fence or another architectural element on your gingerbread "property." 

In the above pic, Jessica's fondant pigs are making their escape from a pen fashioned from square-shaped pretzels. Pretzel sticks make great fences, too, and they also work well as logpiles in an outdoor scene.

 

Above, pretzel sticks are used to create the basic structures and railings in this award-winning creation. Looks like the roofs of these huts may be spaghetti. Clever! Pic is from the 2007 gingerbread contest of Darnall's Chance House Museum in Upper Marlboro, MD. This Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse by Victoria Russell won First Place, Viewer's Choice and Most Creative award. Here is info on the museum's 2008 competition.