Attica Landmark Preservation Society - 2025 Winterfest Ginge

17th Attica Landmark Preservation Society’s

2025 Gingerbread Contest

Welcome to the official rules for the 17th Annual ALPS Gingerbread Show & Fundraiser.  Donations raised through this event will be used by the Society to help preserve the rich and diverse local architecture of our area. What better way for you to help then to create your own piece of edible architecture?

1. Contest Date: Saturday, December 13, 2025 at the Attica Historical Society Museum.
2. The contest is open to everyone: individual, business, or community group.
3. Contestants may submit entries either individually, or as a group.  More than one entry may be submitted.
4. All entries must be made entirely of edible products. Construction material is  not limited to gingerbread—any edible materials may be utilized. 
5. The gingerbread creation submitted may take any shape, form or size. There is no standard which must be met.  Creativity is greatly encouraged!
6. Each entry must be submitted on a stiff base: cardboard, wooden, metal or plastic base (A rigid base is essential to prevent collapse.) There is no standard size or shape for the base.  However, it must be larger than the house.  Ensure the base is sturdy enough to support your design, and can support the creation during transportation. ALPS cannot be held responsible for “structural failures.”
7. All entries must be decorated with edible embellishments or candy.  Anything that is attached to the structure must be edible. (Wrapped candy can be attached, in moderation, please!)
8. Contestants may embellish their entry’s landscape with non-edible items, materials, battery-operated lights, etc.   However, these embellishments may not be connected to the main structure in any way.  Again, everything that appears on, or is connected to the structure must be edible.  Creativity is encouraged!
9. All submissions are due by 10:00 A.M., Saturday—December 13, 2025.  If you cannot meet that delivery time, you MUST call in advance to arrange delivery options. Submissions are to be delivered to the Attica Historical Society’s Museum, at 130 Main Street, Attica, NY and will be on display during the annual “Victorian Christmas” celebration held on December 13, 2025 between 11 – 4 P.M. at the Museum, and during regular Museum hours through December. On December 27th entries will be available for pick-up. Entries not removed by January 21, 2026 will otherwise be disposed of by Staff      members. NOTE: There is access to the Museum through the rear-entrance & driveway behind the Stevens Memorial Community Library.

A complete copy of the contest Rules & Helpful Hints can be eMailed to you, if requested, by sending an eMail to: BBFugle@usa.net. Also, if you have Internet access and have any questions, please eMail with a reference to the “Attica Landmark” in the subject headline. Anyone can telephone with questions, text, or leave a message, at (716) 510-7720. 

If you would prefer to mail in, you may download a copy of the rules and entry form below.

  PRODUCT LIST: The entry must be made completely of edible products. Edible products are not limited to sweets. However, no artificial display materials, such as Styrofoam, toothpicks, popsicle sticks, bamboo skewers or cardboard are to be used in the construction of the house, rather they may be used to embellish the exterior landscape of the house, if necessary. Wrapped candies can be used on the exterior of the structure in moderation, please.

 Purchase cookies, candies, graham crackers, pretzels, white popcorn, raisins, nuts, or anything else for decorating the frame. Be creative!

 Make two batches of Royal Icing for glue to construct the walls and roof. Glue gingersnaps, vanilla wafers, or graham crackers for a gingerbread house; pretzels for a log cabin.

 Use your imagination! If you need ideas, most holiday magazines or holiday-themed Internet web pages have photos of gingerbread houses. Famous and local landmarks are possibilities. Or, maybe your own home would be fun to create in gingerbread!

 Candies, such as jelly beans, gumdrops, MM’s and red-hots will hold for several weeks.

 Upside down ice cream cones make good pine trees. Decorate the trees with icing and candies.

 Use popped corn or coconut flakes as snow. Your imagination is the only limit!

 Place cookies, such as graham crackers, vanilla wafers, or gingersnaps, in a low heat 200°F oven for two hours or in the oven overnight (with the pilot light only) to dry as much as possible.

 Round cookies like gingersnaps can be used to cover the house. Portions not covered by cookie can be filled in with icing and candy. Cut off rounded edges and use the squares as gingerbread bricks.

 Icing and candies will cover a multitude of sins! If something doesn’t fit just right, fill in with icing and a candy decoration and no one will know the difference. Be creative and have fun!

 Store-bought decorator icing in the tube works well as accent colors, such as red and green.