Gingerbread House Entries on Display at Hilton Library

Dec 23, 2014

Durand-Hedden hosted its 2nd annual Gingerbread House Competition on Sunday, December 7. A dozen amazing entries were brought to Durand-Hedden the day before. The day of the Contest filled the house with visitors who were able to view the houses, visit with Old Saint Nick, peruse the Maplewood Theater Exhibit, and shop at the charming Country Store. Theodore and Darwin Bourgeois Belotz (The Gingerbreaders) won the Grand Prize for the “Most Fantastical” entry, earning a trophy and $50 gift certificate. Other winners are listed below and included everything from “Best Technical Achievement” to “Most Original.” All houses, including two versions of Durand-Hedden in gingerbread, will be on display at the Hilton Library through January 10.

Team Name	Entry Name	Award
The Sanchez Family	Bear Camp	Most Original
The Gingerbreaders	Lightsaver Santascote	Grand Prize/Most Fantastical
Amy Goring	Liberty & Justice for All	Best Historical Interpretation
Stone House Girls	Dream Ski Chalet	Best Technical Achievement
Evelyn Besom	Reedville in Winter	Best Use of Material
Grace Trenouth	Hansel and Gretel's Dream	Best Fairytale Inspiration
Audrey Marvell	Fairy Queen's Village	Most Imaginative
Lilly White	Gingerbread Cottage	Most Classic
Anthony Valente	Candy House	Cosiest Cottage

Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom

Juneteenth, an African American celebration marking the end of slavery in the United States, will be the focus of the June program in collaboration with the South Orange Maplewood Community Coalition on Race. The afternoon will include dancers, storytelling, a quilt display, musicians, activities for families and children, Civil War Colored Troop reenactors, as well as information about New Jersey’s history of slavery, which continued up until the time of the Civil War.

As part of the celebration, we are sponsoring a student essay contest on communications barriers between people of different races. All students in grades 6 through 12 who are residents of Maplewood or South Orange are eligible. Deadline is May 28. Read more information about the contest.

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