Pittsburgh's annual gingerbread house competition goes virtual
You won’t have to leave home to see these houses.
The 18th annual City of Pittsburgh Office of Special Events’ annual Gingerbread House Competition and Display returns in an online format.
“The City of Pittsburgh is proud to serve as the presenter of this popular holiday tradition, and we’re excited to design a new format that will allow the display to take place as a virtual display,” said special events manager Brian Katze, in a statement.
Families, individuals, businesses, students and chefs are invited to create gingerbread houses. They will be asked to upload two photos – a front and side view — of their creations on the city’s website through Nov. 15. It’s free to enter.
A panel of judges will choose the winners in several categories such as preschool, non-profit and culinary. Last year, 65 awards were given.
Winners will be announced via an online gallery on Nov. 20 which will be live through Jan. 8.
New this year is an overall People’s Choice award, determined by voters. Viewers can vote for that champion through Dec. 31. It will be announced in early January.
“I looked at last year’s entries and saw some really great creativity,” said Melissa Culbertson, in her first year as program coordinator of the City of Pittsburgh Office of Special Events. “I imagine we will have some amazing and interesting gingerbread houses this year as well.”
The Gingerbread House Competition and Display launched in 2002 when Downtown hotels held a competition to benefit the Children’s Hospital Free Care Fund. Since then, the competition has attracted thousands of entries displayed at PPG Place moving a few blocks to the City-County Building in 2019.
Even though it can’t be held in person because of pandemic restrictions, the event can still be a part of the city’s holiday celebration, Culbertson said.
“It can be a fun activity and one that can be done safely at home,” said Culbertson of her first event on the new job. “All it takes is filling out a form online and sending two photos.”
Culbertson said no specific kit is needed. She said makers will be judged on originality, creativity and difficulty. She added that using as much edible decorations as possible is a plus.
“It’s been a challenging year for sure,” she said. “But to be able to do this in some format feels good. We hope to bring some cheerfulness this time of year and to be able to have some interaction with the people in the city of Pittsburgh, even if the houses have to be viewed from your home.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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