Logan Downtown Alliance celebrates 23rd year of Gingerbread Homes Contest
From Dec. 3 to Dec. 31, Logan Downtown Alliance hosts its 23rd year of celebrating Christmas with the Parade of Gingerbread Homes Contest.
Gingerbread creations from professional artists and community members now sit on display around downtown Logan.
Watermelons, cheeseburgers and even a chocolate campfire set the scene for Jackie Haws Bradshaw’s professional gingerbread house entry, “Cache Valley Christmas in July.”
“My favorite part is that we make it happen every year. We didn’t let it die during covid, and we don’t let it die now,” said Gary Saxton, the director of Logan Downtown Alliance.
The contest has around 12-16 creations each year, amounting to about 150 entries for the past 23 years, according to Saxton.
This year, five professional and six community member contestants participated. Each house displayed a different theme, whether that be a building unique to Cache Valley or their own scene celebrating Christmas.
“Everyone has a different artistic representation of something in the valley,” Saxton said.
Jennifer and Ashlyn Erickson, both professional contestants, created a scene complete with a gingerbread Old Main, the Logan temple and the Logan tabernacle. They titled their entry, “Logan’s Landmarks at Christmastime.”
Other themed entries included Robyn and Blake Rusch’s “Christmas on Crockett Avenue,” Muyly Miller’s “Smithfield Implement Company,” and Leticia Dornfeld’s “Christmas at the Logan Pride House.”
Some artists, rather than making a Cache Valley-themed creation, crafted their own ideas.
In “Joy to the World,” community contestant Cindy Atkin designed a nativity scene complete with a gingerbread Mary, Joseph, Jesus, angels and lambs.
Chelsea Roberts’ “I’ll BEE Home for Christmas” entry presented a gingerbread beehive. According to her information flyer, the pieces are glued together with honey.
Two gingerbread figures puzzle over how to build their own gingerbread house in “Us in the Kitchen,” an entry from professional contestants Cynthia and Samantha Russell.
Saxton said some artists have incorporated lights, animation or mechanical effects to make their creations come to life.
Jennifer and Michaela Dettore, the creators of the parade’s winning entry in 2019, stated on the contest’s website that it takes a lot more than just icing and candy to make their masterpieces.
“It became a running joke that it wasn’t a real gingerbread house unless we had to use power tools — yes; the drill, the jigsaw, the dremel and a lot of imagination,” the Dettores said.
Saxton encouraged Logan residents to visit the houses, which are placed in downtown locations within walking distance of each other. He said residents could vote for their favorites on the Logan Downtown Alliance’s website , logandowntown.org.
“Just find a day that works to get together, go around and see the creations,” Saxton said.
-Jenny.Carpenter@usu.edu
Featured photo by Aspen Marshall