Gingerbread House Contest submission deadline set for Tuesday

The Havre Area Chamber of Commerce is running a Gingerbread House Building Competition this year Dec. 3, but the deadline for submissions is approaching fast.

Entries are due Nov. 22 by 2 p.m. at the Chamber, or at Ruff Real Estate, where they will be displayed from that day until Dec. 3 when winners are announced.

From Nov. 22 to Dec 3. community members will have the chance to peruse the submissions at Ruff Real Estate and vote on what they think the best houses are from each age bracket, 3-6 years old, 7-12 years old, 13-18 years old, and 19 and older.

The latter two groups are not allowed to use kits to make their houses, and all will have been decorated by their creators.

Entries must include the builder’s name, age and phone number and be 100 percent edible.

The rules and regulations of the competition say that only non-perishable food items should be used, but if any candy is used in the construction it must be unwrapped.

The rules also remind parents that, for the sake of fairness, the children must be the ones to decorate the houses, which can be made from gingerbread or graham crackers.

The houses must also be delivered on a base of some kind, preferably a cookie sheet or plywood, and the display, base included, cannot be larger than 9 inches by 13 inches.

Houses should be picked up by Dec. 5, the rules say, or they might be thrown out.

The winners of the contest will be announced after this year’s Tree Lighting at Town Square Dec. 3 at 7 p.m.

The winners in each category will receive a $25 Havre Chamber Gift Certificate.