Entries included a replica of Ohio University President Roderick McDavis’ former house on Park Place.
Three-year-old Jack Miller created Chateau Shalom, a traditional gingerbread house that was Hanukkah-themed with gold accents and covered with blue menorahs and Stars of David.
“I made the star, and I ated it,” Miller, who won the group category with his parents, said, referring to his Star of David design on the gingerbread house. “It was good — really, really good.”
Chateau Shalom, along with modeled bridges and Sesame Street were just a few themes in this year’s Uptown for the Holidays Annual Gingerbread Competition at the Athens County Historical Society and Museum.
The annual competition, which is in its third year, had about 18 applicants, according to Jan Hodson, co-head of the gingerbread competition.
“People drop out sometimes because the competition is very time consuming,” Hodson said. “A lot of people end up finishing the houses and put details on last minute.”
The contest has dealt with some modifications over the years.
“The first year a professional baker won,” Hodson said. “The second year we added a non-professional category to allow others to win.”
The gingerbread houses are made from homemade gingerbread and usually store-bought candy, Joyce Mullins, co-head of the competition, said. She added that many of the competitors use fondant to give the houses their own personal touch.
{{tncms-asset app="editorial" id="a65f3606-9875-11e5-9bd6-ff765f741dc7"}}
The grand-prize winners this year include three-time champion Nancy Mingus with her “Kidwell Covered Bridge” design in the professional category and Sarah Boumphrey’s Burrito Buggy replica in the non-professional category. One $500 grand prize, which was awarded to Mingus, is paid for by the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau along with all second-prize baskets.
Other entries included an imaginative Hocking Valley Candyland and a replica of Ohio University President Roderick McDavis’ former house on Park Place.
Brian and Kristin Miller, Athens residents, are raising their son Jack to be half Jewish and half Christian, and decided to have their son enter a gingerbread house in the competition as a way to bring together both religions.
“Rather than doing anything simple,” Kristin said. “We always sort of do something against the mold.”
This year was the first time the three entered the competition.
“Just trying to rein myself and the 3-year-old not to eat it all and focus, that was really tough,” Kristen said. “(Jack) was super excited about doing it.”
Mingus, an Athens resident, created a replica of the Kidwell Covered Bridge, which is a bridge in Athens, with trees and small woodland animals in her design.
“I went ahead and did something less work-intensive (this year),” Mingus said. “This seemed a little easier to do than what I have done in the past.”
Mingus said she and her daughter worked on the house for between 40 to 50 hours this year, as opposed to the 100-hour houses she’s done in the past. She said she tried to take it easier this year because of her neck surgery in July.
Mingus said the most difficult part was creating the supports inside the bridge and making a gingerbread house on an 18-inch board.
Mingus has been baking professionally for 41 years, so she enters into the professional division. She has been making gingerbread houses for about 36 years.
“Actually, Cake Boss has inspired me a lot,” Mingus said.
The display is free and open to the public from December 2-30th: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The display is also open on Thursday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
@_alexdarus
ad019914@ohio.edu
@wintuck
