Gingerbread House Classes, Contest Added to Christmas Traditions

Gingerbread Houses are coming to Main Street for the annual Christmas Traditions festival in St. Charles in 2012. 

This year, festival-goers will have an opportunity to take classes on making gingerbread houses and enter a house into the first-ever Gingerbread House Contest. The houses entered in the festival will be on display throughout the month-long festival. 

The contest is sponsored by Main Street Church. The deadline to enter is Nov. 16. 

Carol Hurst, owner of the Olde Town Spice Shoppe, thought the gingerbread house classes would be a great thing for kids and families to do together. 

Hurst, who was born on Christmas, says she is all about gingerbread and the holiday. 

"I'm all for hyping up Christmas," she said. "I've won a gingerbread house contest before. I have the decorating and the cooking, it meets together on gingerbread houses. I love doing it."

Hurst will teach the classes, which will run from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, and from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24. 

"I know with all of the activities going on, people are always looking for something to do," Hurst said. "I just know sometimes making gingerbread houses can be a bit messy and laborious for people to do." 

Hurst wanted to make it easy on families by providing all the supplies including thick, fragrant gingerbread, decorations, and other goodies. The cost per house is $50, and an entire family can work together on one house, she said. Sign up for the classes here. 

"We'll have sample pictures for people for ideas and will be there to help them," she said. "You can make it as elaborate as you want or as basic."

Classes will be held at Main Street Church, which is located at 116 North Main Street. The church is also sponsoring both the Gingerbread House Contest and Gingerbread Village 

Contestants can enter houses in one of four categories: Adult (ages 18 and up), teen (11 to 17), youth (1-10) and business/professional. The theme for the competition is "Christmas in St. Charles." See a full list of rules here. 

The Gingerbread houses will be on display between Nov. 23  and Dec. 22 at 6 p.m. during festival hours. 

• St. Charles 2012 Christmas Traditions Schedule
• Directions for Getting to Downtown St. Charles During Blanchette Bridge Closure