Annual Gingerbread House Competition benefits Museum and highlights local history
Display open free to public, Gingerbread Houses available for silent auction
Augusta Museum of History’s annual Holiday Gingerbread Village, a gingerbread house competition featuring confectionary replicas of historic structures in the Central Savannah River Area, will be on display Friday, November 21 – Sunday, November 30, 2008. Each historic-themed gingerbread house will be on display to the public, free of charge, inside a spectacular village set and available for purchase through silent auction, with all proceeds benefiting the programs of Augusta Museum of History.
A panel of guest judges – Mr. Anthony Fernandez, Executive Pastry Chef at The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation; Al Cheatham, architect with Cheatham Fletcher Scott; Dr. Lee Ann Caldwell, Director of the Center for the Study of Georgia History at Augusta State University; and Ms. Kathy Girdler-Engler, local sculptor, will select the winning gingerbread houses on Thursday, November 20, and will award cash prizes for Grand Prize, Second Place, and Third Place, in addition to Most Artistic and a new prize categories for 2008! The winning creations will be chosen based on their overall appearance, originality, creativity, precision, difficulty, and consistency of historic theme.
Winners will receive the following cash prizes based on their award:
· Grand Prize - $1,000 cash!
· Second Place - $750
· Third Place - $500
· Most Artistic - $250
A People’s Choice category winner will also be selected based on votes cast by the public. Votes will be tallied on Sunday, November 30, 2008 and the winner will receive a $250 prize. Be sure to come by and cast your vote for your favorite house!
The Holiday Gingerbread Village is made possible through the generous support of The Knox Foundation and University Health Care Foundation. Additional support is provided by Meybohm Realtors, Augusta ENT, Dr. and Mrs. Jerry Howington, Dr. and Mrs. Jed Howington, Dixie-Riverside, Inc., R.W. Allen, Hull Storey Gibson Companies, LLC, Bowles Construction, Bedford Greenhouses, Greg Boulus of charleston street, The Estate Jewelry Center, NBC Augusta, The Greater Augusta Association of Realtors, Inc., Ranco Tents, and Summerville Ace.
Experience a delight for the senses at the Augusta Museum of History’s annual Holiday Gingerbread Village, Friday, November 21 - Sunday, November 30, 2008 in the Museum’s Rotunda as you view delectable and sugary historic buildings of the CSRA! Please come and join us for this special treat for all ages! For more information on the Village, Preview Party, or Raffle, please contact the Museum at (706) 722-8454.
High resolution photos available of gingerbread houses after Thursday, November 20, 2008. Contact Rebekah Henry, 706-722-8454 or rhenry@augustamuseum.org.
HOLIDAY GINGERBREAD VILLAGE SCHEDULE
What: Holiday Gingerbread Village Judging
When: November 20, 2008, 10:00 a.m.
Where: Augusta Museum of History
Cost: closed to public
Visual: Head Judge, Chef Anthony Fernandez, Executive Pastry Chef of the Ritz-Carlton Lodge in Reynolds Plantation leads a team of judges – Mr. Al Cheatham, local architect with Cheatham Fletcher Scott; Dr. Lee Ann Caldwell, Director of the Center for the Study of Georgia History at Augusta State University; and Ms. Kathy Girdler-Engler, local sculptor, to select the winning gingerbread houses on and award cash prizes for Grand Prize, Second Place, and Third Place, in addition to Most Artistic– a new prize category for 2008! The winning creations will be chosen based on their overall appearance, originality, creativity, precision, difficulty, and consistency of historic theme.
Winners will receive the following cash prizes based on their award:
· Grand Prize - $1,000 cash!
· Second Place - $750
· Third Place - $500
· Most Artistic - $250 - new prize category for 2008!
· People’s Choice (announced Sunday, November 30, 2008 when votes are tallied) - $250 - new prize category for 2008!
What: Holiday Gingerbread Village Preview Party
When: November 20, 2008, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Where: Augusta Museum of History
Cost: $50 per Person; Raffle Tickets, $20 each
Visual: The kick-off to the holiday social season, the Holiday Gingerbread Village Preview Party features a full open bar, heavy hors d’oeuvres, jazz entertainment, raffle, and the chance to view the delectable gingerbread houses and even bid via silent auction to take a sugary replica home! Cocktail attire.
What: Holiday Gingerbread Village
When: November 21 – November 30, 10 am – 5 pm Monday – Saturday, 1 – 5 pm Sunday
Where: Augusta Museum of History Rotunda
Cost: Free to Public! Museum patrons can bid on their chance to take one of these delectable masterpieces home through the silent auction and are invited to cast their vote for their favorite house to win the People’s Choice award.
What: Gingerbread Family Fun Day
When: November 22, 2008, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Where: Augusta Museum of History
Cost: Free with Regular Museum Admission and for Museum Members, $4 Adults, $3 Seniors, $2 Children, Free for Children under age 5! Gingerbread Crafts, Story Time, Family Movies, and more. Plus the opportunity to bring your families to see the Holiday Gingerbread Village!
Augusta Museum of History, the only Museum in the CSRA accredited by the American Association of Museums, was established in 1937 for the purpose of preserving and sharing the material history of Augusta and the region. From a 10,000 year-old projectile point to a 1914 locomotive, the collections chronicle a rich and fascinating past. The museum is located at 560 Reynolds Street in downtown Augusta. Please call (706) 722-8454 for more information or visit our website www.augustamuseum.org.
Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm; Sunday 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm; Closed Monday
Admission: Adult: $4 • Senior: $3 • Child (6-18): $2 • Child (5 & under): Free
The 1797 Ezekiel Harris House¸ said to be “the finest eighteenth-century house surviving in Georgia”, is located at 1822 Broad Street and is an excellent example of early Federal architecture. Fully restored in 1964 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Ezekiel Harris House is a reminder of the days when tobacco was the primary cash crop of Georgia. For more information, call (706) 737-2820 or visit www.augustamuseum.org.
Hours: Guided tours Tuesday – Friday, 1:00 – 5:00 pm, with the last tour beginning at 4:00 pm; Saturday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, with the last tour beginning at 4:00 pm; Tours by appointment only 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Tuesday – Friday; Closed Sunday & Monday.
Admission: Adult and Senior: $2 • Child: $1
