Museum of the City of New York Contest: Key Dates, Themes, and Winner Highlights

Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bake-Off

The Museum of the City of New York is hosting the 3rd annual "Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bake-Off" from November 8, 2024, to January 12, 2025. Here are the key details of this event:

Theme and Participants

• The theme of this year’s bake-off is "Iconic New York," where bakers from the five boroughs create gingerbread displays representing distinctive buildings, places, or things from their neighborhoods or communities[1][4][5].

Displays and Creations

• One of the standout creations is a gingerbread version of Coney Island’s Wonder Wheel by Susanna Caliendo of Something Sugared and Mario DiBiase of SottoVoce. This display features Yukon Cornelius, elves, and Rudolph, and it won awards for best overall, most unique, good enough to eat, and best borough spirit for Brooklyn[5].
• Other notable creations include a gingerbread Southern Boulevard in the Bronx featuring the Bronx Zoo, New York Botanical Garden, and Fordham University; a precise replica of The Dakota apartments in Manhattan; and iconic NYC scenes like Rockefeller Center, Macy’s Flagship store, and a Yorkville bodega[4][5].

Judging and Voting

• The competition is judged by experts in baking and fine art, including Bobbie Lloyd, Jonah Nigh, Nadine Orenstein, Amy Scherber, and Melba Wilson. Visitors can also vote to help select the "People’s Choice" award[1][4].

Exhibition Details

• The exhibition is open to visitors at the Museum of the City of New York. On Wednesdays, admissions are free for New Yorkers[4].
• The display features 20 professional and amateur bakers, with a wide range of iconic NYC structures and scenes, including pizza, sanitation trucks, and subway stations[4][5].

Tips and Advice

• Bakers advise overbaking the gingerbread and using melted sugar or isomalt to ensure stability. They also encourage having fun while decorating gingerbread houses with family[4].