The Gingerbread House Festival is returning to South Windsor along with the Gingerbread Man who is going around, taking photos.
The festival began in 2010 thanks to the help of a local, visionary volunteer. Now, staff oversee the major planning but we rely on a volunteer decorating committee, a shop manager, and volunteers for set up, break down and on-site festival support.
The Gingerbread House Festival is an annual holiday tradition held by the Wood Memorial Library & Museum every November through December. It was founded by main street resident and enthusiastic supporter Bonnie Grover in 2010. The festival has taken place every year since, either at the Wood Memorial Library or Evergreen Walk.
This festival features a large display of intricately decorated gingerbread houses that were created by community members. Every year, there’s a different theme assigned to give visitors a new experience each year. This year’s theme is “Gingy in Toyland.” In addition to the display of the gingerbread creations, there’s a gift shop featuring local artisans. It’s a magical atmosphere that many count as a hallmark of their holiday season.
Last year, the festival was held at the Wood Memorial Library & Museum but this year, it’s being held somewhere else in South Windsor. The festival will open on November 28th and will go till December 14th. The festival will be open on Fridays and Saturdays from 10am-7pm and Sundays from 10am-5pm.
But this year, the festival is being held at Nomad’s Adventure Quest in South Windsor. The reason for this is because the Wood Memorial Library is going under construction. There has been discourse within the South Windsor community on whether or not this is the ideal location for the gingerbread house festival.
“I’m not sure how I think about this,” says Claire Taylor, a senior citizen in South Windsor. “I think it’s a little off track for some people.”
There were numerous reasons why a new location was needed for the festival this year. The Nomads/Revolutions people heard that they were looking for something different and stepped up in a huge way to accommodate and support the staff. The Nomads have been wonderful partners and a lot of people are very excited about the location. It will certainly be different than previous years, but still fabulous in its own way.
Attending the event is free of cost and open to the public. However, donations from the individuals who are visiting the festival would be greatly appreciated. About $5-10 per person is suggested and can be made as a donation in the lobby or towards the cost of raffle tickets. As an alternative, you can make a donation on the new website.
With the location at Nomads this year, food and beverage are available, which can be enjoyed in the “Dough-Re-Mi-Lounge,” adjacent to the festival room. The staff are also looking for small, live music groups to play holiday music in there. Special unlimited game cards for the arcade and other adventures will be available during festival hours too.
In addition, the Gingerbread Man, or Gingy, continues his adventure around town. The staff were trying to create buzz about the festival being in a new location and to drive people to the new website, which made it easier to maintain all of the festival information in one place. This year, the Wood Memorial Library is looking for more festival sponsors, for a minimum donation of $250.
Gingy will make an appearance at their office/retail store, etc. for a picture to share on social media and in a wall of “Gingy’s friends” at the festival. Also, the Regional School Choice Office (RSCO) has signed on again to be a major sponsor, so they will be the first of Gingy’s friend posts on socials.
The Gingerbread Festival invites all residents of South Windsor to submit their gingerbread house creations to be put on display. Houses are not judged, however, some houses may be recognized for their creativity and use of shapes and color.
“Every year is like a family reunion as we see the same families who make the festival an annual tradition. The kids grow up and start making gingerbread houses of their own. It’s a wonderful legacy that our current staff and volunteers have inherited, and we hope everyone knows how hard we work to make it special,” Director of the Friends of Wood Memorial Library, Carolyn Venne told the Prowl.
To wrap it all up, the Gingerbread House Festival is an event that you wouldn’t want to miss, with tons of fun and jolly spirits rising into the air to celebrate yet another merry holiday.
