Gingerbread House Contest is Sweet Fun!
By: Orange County Communications Department
Last month, Orange County Parks & Recreation hosted its annual Gingerbread House Contest. Now in its eighth year, the event received greater participation than ever before! Fourteen gingerbread houses were entered and on display at the Arts Center in Orange, ranging from chicken coops to train stations. In fact, the gallery of sweet structures became even more impressive when a couple of additional structures mysteriously appeared during the contest. While extremely impressive, those structures unfortunately couldn ’ t be eligible for the contest since no entry information had been received. Regardless, they certainly added a dash of magic to this year ’ s display.
Entries were on display for voting Saturday, December 7 through Monday, December 20. During that time, more than 212 ballots were received! While first, second, and third places were decided by our official judges, the “ People ’ s Choice ” award was determined by the total number of votes received.
This year, the judges and the visiting public agreed, and Entry #10, “ We Love OC! ”, submitted by the Pitera family earned both top honors. This depiction of the historic Orange Train Depot (also home to the Orange County Visitor Center) steamed ahead of the competition by capturing more than 27% of the votes. The Pitera family has established something of a dynasty in our gingerbread house contest. They ’ ve secured five wins in a row (each year since 2020) thanks to their ever - impressive builds which often showcase Orange County landmarks! Second place was earned by the Jolly Krispie Elves League ’ s (revealed to be a team name based on the first initials of the assembly team: Jeremy Owens, Kaci Daniel, Esma Owens, and Layla Owens) “ Up on the Hill ” entry. This entry showcased a beloved family home “ full of people, animals, [and] memories. ” Third place was earned by Ashton Wolfrey's "Holiday Coop." The adorable nature of this entry (especially its gum drop chickens) also earned it the “ Cutest ” superlative award and a special place in the minds of voters. In fact, this entry received the second - most votes for the “ People ’ s Choice ” award.
Finally, the “ Funniest ” superlative was awarded to Abagail Wolfrey ’ s “ Yellowstone Barn. ” We appreciate the support of the Arts Center in Orange and Krecek Kakes to help make this event possible. We look forward to 2025!
Page 14 | January 2025
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