3rd Annual Zest Gingerbread House Competition

Online Voting: November 13-27th

In Person Voting: Friday, December 2nd 10am-9pm

Zest’s Annual Gingerbread House Competition is BACK, with a few changes. This year, you’ll be competing virtually for a spot in the in-person final. Submit your entries via INSTAGRAM anytime between November 13-27th. Virtual voting on Instagram will take place during this time. The top 3 gingerbread houses with the most likes will then compete in person during the Holiday Stroll.

Create your own gingerbread masterpiece of a chance to win one of three prizes OR come down to Zest to vote for your favorite creation!

Prizes

• 1st Place - $200 Zest gift certificate
• 2nd Place - $100 Zest gift certificate
• 3rd Place - $50 Zest gift certificate

How It Works:

1. Construct your Gingerbread House following our Do's and Dont's (see below)
2. On November 13th, post a photo of your Gingerbread House to Instagram and invite @zestbillings as a collaborator:

• Create a new post
• Select the picture(s) of your Gingerbread House and click “Next”
• Write a caption describing your inspiration for your Gingerbread House
• Under the caption, click “Tag people.”
• On the next screen, click “Invite collaborator.” Search for “zestbillings.” Tap our profile and then click “done.”
• We will receive a notification of your request to collaborate. When we accept it, your post will be shared to both our timelines.
• Promote your post in Instagram - share to your stories and tag friends and ask them to “like” your post.

The Top 3 Gingerbread Houses with the most likes by November 27th will be invited to compete side by side at Zest for in-person votes during the December 3rd Christmas Stroll (you will receive instructions for dropping off and picking up your Gingerbread House if you are a top 3 winner)

Dos & Don’ts

• Zest will not accept collaboration requests made before November 13th.
• The Gingerbread House Competition is a family-friendly show. Zest reserves the right not to display an entry that is deemed offensive, controversial, inappropriate, religious, political, or poorly constructed.
• Any kind of architectural structure, not just houses, will be accepted.
• Each group or individual may enter only one gingerbread creation.
• Use of gingerbread: The main structure of every entry must be constructed of gingerbread.
• For a structurally sound gingerbread, try Chef Lisa's recipe.
• Non-visible interior supports: Non-edible materials may be used for non-visible supports. Examples include: machine designed, 3D printed and laser cut components, lights, moving mechanisms. Please no sound.
• Everything visible on your entry MUST be edible: Use of gum paste, fondant, pastillage, chocolate, modeling chocolate, royal icing, isomalt, cast sugar, gelatin and pressed sugar is encouraged.
• Size limitations:  All entries must be mounted on a sturdy piece of plywood display board (½” or ¾” plywood is recommended). The maximum size for display boards for all categories is 24”x 24”. The maximum height of your gingerbread creation is 24″. Weight is not to exceed 50 pounds. The display board should be size appropriate to your creation without exceeding the maximum size limits.
• TIPS
• A strong idea is key. Sometimes the best entries are the simplest, yet most recognizable.
• Craftsmanship can make or break the overall look of a project.
• Make sure everything has set and there is nothing still wet.
  Remember your gingerbread creation will be on display for 3 days.
• Make sure everything is secure and has proper weight distribution to prevent toppling!
• To make glass windows or lakes out of sugar, remember to heat your sugar mixture to 300°F, then remove it from heat. The candy must reach 300°F. If you do not get the candy hot enough, it will not set properly. Your candy will end up sticky no matter how long you let it sit or cool.