The Tenth Annual

Gingerbread Extravaganza 2003

Thanks to the efforts of bakers, volunteers, and hundreds of visitors, Oberlin Heritage Center's 10th Annual Gingerbread Extravaganza was a great success. The free event was held from Nov. 29 to Dec. 14, 2003 in the Oberlin Heritage Center's Jewett House.

Here are pictures of all of 2003's gingerbread creations.

This Year's Winners Are:
My Favorite of All on Display "Boo-Tee-Ful Halloweentown" by Rayne Odum, 6, Kierrah Pritchett, 8, Debbie Pritchett, Gwynne Young, Lisa Reaser, and Delores Ridge	Most Original "Gingerbread House of the Future" by Gena L. Reynolds, 10
Most Amusing "Santa's Toy Storage Facility, North Pole" by Melissa Lyle	Best Attention to Detail "I'll Have a Blue Christmas" by Lisa Reaser
Best First-Time Gingerbread House "Arctic Morning" by Misty Reed, 18	Best First-Time Graham Cracker House "Church" by Ayumi Kato, 17
Best Graham Cracker House "5 North Pole" by Nicole Myers, 16, Camaris Hairston, 16, and Ashley Amenhauser, 15	Best Team Entry "Girl Scout Lodge" by Girl Scout Troup 325 of Oberlin: Anne Carruthers, 10, Olivia Moe, 11, Katherine Rock, 10, Clara Shannon, 10, Zofia Stanley, 11, Abby Weiss, 10, Leah Wood, 10, and Kelly Moe, leader
Best Title "I'll Have a Blue Christmas" by Lisa Reaser	Most Calories "Our Interpretation of Who-ville" by LaQuinta King, 17, Roxie Robinson, 17, and R. Shade Alston, 17
Best Family Entry "Christmas Clock" by Michelle Hill, 11, Brian Hill, 7, and Julie Hill	Most Colorful "Boo-Tee-Ful Halloweentown" by Rayne Odum, 6, Kierrah Pritchett, 8, Debbie Pritchett, Gwynne Young, Lisa Reaser, and Delores Ridge
Best Historic Lorain County Building "Frosty Farm" (Bicentennial Barn) by Nicole Cilona, 10, and Jill Weeks, 10	Best Story Told in Gingerbread "Moominhouse" by Karen L. Reynolds, 11
President's Award "Christmas in the English Countryside" by Robin Helzer	Director's Award "Snowy Oasis" by Karli Reighley, 18 and Kyle Huston, 18
Honorable Mention for Overall Excellence "My House" by Eliza Fitch, 16	Honorable Mention for Overall Excellence "Cabin in the Woods" by Anthony Gallam, 17
Honorable Mention for Overall Excellence "The Country Cottage" by Nicole Centanni, Rhema Centanni, 9, and Shekinah Centanni, 9	Honorable Mention for Overall Excellence "Christmas Town" by Jessica Dakos, 12, and Joann Dakos
Honorable Mention for Overall Excellence "It Takes A Village I" by Abby Andrews, 8, Jake Danko, 11, Zack Danko, 13, Jessica Dylag, 10, Kara Dylag, 7, Seth Dylag, 9, Lauren Fuhr, 7, Victoria Klammer, 12, Brittany Lesesne, 12, Christopher Lesesne, 11, Armand Ortiz, 6, Brendan Ortiz, 3, Charlene Reinhard, 5, Mariah Simonovich, 10, Nick Simonovich, 13, Zack Stanley, 11	Honorable Mention for Overall Excellence "It Takes A Village II" by Bethany Anderson, 7, Abigail Andrews, 8, Georgie Andrews, 6, Allison Danko, 7, Nate Danko, 9, Erin Fuhr, 11, Sarah Helzer, 9, Sean Lenart-Cann, 8, Charlotte Peters, 7, Maya Peters, 4, Karen Reynolds, 11, and Jeremy Simonovich, 6

• Total number of entries: 70
• Total number of creations donated to silent auction: 63
• Total number of bakers: 159
• Total number of visitors: 1,011
• Total number of judges: 592 people voted on the creations
• Total number of volunteers to staff the event: 87
• Proceeds from silent auction: $600 (used to help pay for the cost of the event)

• "I wore out an eraser on my pencil trying to choose my favorites! They're ALL great!"
• "Fun! Fun! Fun!"
• "This has been very fun for our family. Thank you!"
• "Lovely exhibit!"
• "I just flew in from New York - this is absolutely wonderful!"
• "Each one is beautiful and shows a lot of hard work. But they make me HUNGRY!"
• "Excellent ideas and a lot of creativity!"
• "Wonderful! I'm going to tell my friends to come here with their children."
• "This was so much fun! Thanks!"
• "Architecturally excellent in all cases. Thank you for all the hard and creative work!"

The Oberlin Heritage Center. would like to thank everyone who made the 2003 event possible. Special thanks go to:

• All of our wonderful volunteers.
• Oberlin High School teacher Donna Shurr, her wonderful students, the students of Prospect Elementary School, and the Oberlin School Endowment Fund for their help in making this event another grand success.
• Girl Scout Troup #325 (Kelly Moe, leader) and Nicholas & Stephanie Heist for hand-decorating the thank you bags presented to all the gingerbread creators.
• Oberlin Area Chamber of Commerce and the UPS Store in Oberlin for their assistance in providing prizes for winners and participants.
• Missler’s/Geyer’s SuperValu for their help in providing cookies.
• Michael Grube and Alice Iseminger at the College for donating four life-size gingerbread children to grace our Jewett House entryway, straight from the stage of the opera "Hansel and Gretel," performed at Oberlin College in November.
• Thanks to all bakers who donated their houses to our Silent Auction: the auction proceeds totaled $600 and are used to help pay for a portion of the costs of the event.

See pictures of gingerbread creations from 2001 and 2002!

Come to a tour or one of our events to find out about what else we do here at the Oberlin Heritage Center, and join us in celebrating Oberlin's past, present, and future!