For Immediate Release

Media Contact: Tammy Tilley
Phone: 574.202.0755
E-Mail: news@lagrangecountycvb.org

December 5, 2011

Shipshewana's Gingerbread Houses Could Go National

Shipshewana-What at first started five years ago as a simple and fun event for the town now has the potential for national recognition.

Yoder's Shopping Center holds an annual Gingerbread House Decorating Contest and display November 21-January 2, with LaGrange County residents submitting their work to be judged. Winners will be announced at 11 am this Saturday at Yoder's Shopping Center, where prizes of $500, $300, and $200 will be awarded.

This year, world-renowned pastry instructor Elizabeth Parvu, one of three judges for the show, recommended that two of the gingerbread houses be entered into national competitions.

"The work on these two pieces are so neatly and precisely done, these could easily compete on the national level.

"I have a large international audience that listens to me so I have to be very careful about what I say or whom I recommend," said Parvu. "I believe the first place entry especially needs to be seen other places."

Guidelines for the judging include: original design or theme; creative use of materials; level of difficulty; structural integrity (no cracking; no leaning, etc.); overall appearance.

Non-professional bakers who live in or around LaGrange County create the gingerbread house entries.

Kathy Chester, Human Resources Manager for Yoder Department Store and co-chair of the event, said while previous years have received a large number of entries, this year the number of participants was smaller.

"I would love to see our entire hallway filled with gingerbread houses," Chester said, referring to Yoder Shopping Center's 280-foot hallway.

"The event is tied in with all the monthly Christmas festivities Shipshewana hosts throughout the month of December, and we want this to be a fun, family-oriented project," adds Chester.

Also on Saturday, Yoder's Shopping Center is participating in the town-wide Kid's Day festivities.

Kids can have their faces painted, create Christmas cards for American troops, watch model steam engine trains, and view a life-size display of Santa and his elves.

From 11am-1 pm, kids can participate in a book signing by local author and illustrator Rebecca Williams and Hilary Burchett, respectively, titled The First Snow of Winter.

From 9am-2 pm, Parvu will create gingerbread reindeer and Christmas trees out of sugar paste. Parvu owns Sugarpaste in South Bend, a company that manufactures and ships sugar crystal colors worldwide to cake decorators and pastry chefs.

For more information on this and other events, contact:

(800) 254-8090

www.VisitShipshewana.org

Email: info@LaGrangeCountyCVB.org

The LaGrange County Convention and Visitor's Bureau is the official agency for tourism marketing, planning and development in LaGrange County, Indiana. If you have any questions about LaGrange County or would like more information about Shipshewana and other LaGrange County attractions, please go online to www.VisitShipshewana.org or call (800) 254-8090.

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