Just in time to enjoy during the Thanksgiving break, the Augusta Museum of History has recently presented their annual Holiday Gingerbread Village for families to view and vote on for free until Nov. 26.
Showcasing intricate buildings constructed by local artists and bakers with icing, various candies and gingerbread, the exhibit includes recreations of Augusta’s Archibald Butt Memorial Bridge, Sacred Heart Cultural Center and Villa Europa, as well as Edgefield’s Big Stevens Creek Baptist Church and the Charles Hammond House in North Augusta.
For the first time, the museum, located at 560 Reynolds St., will be staying open the entire week of Thanksgiving, excluding Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, Nov. 23, in hopes of allowing more families an opportunity to view the holiday spectacle.
The intricate buildings are constructed every year by local artists and bakers, Visitors are encouraged to bid on the gingerbread houses and decide which one they feel deserves the People’s Choice Award.
“It’s a community program that allows us to incorporate many different bakers and it’s just a lot of fun,” said Krystal Lyon, the museum’s education manager. “There’s just something about sugar and cookies that just brings all the families out, so it’s a great way for us to connect with new families here.”
Getting families in the holiday spirit early on Saturday, Nov. 18, the museum hosted a special gingerbread activity day complete with craft, scavenger hunt and a reading of “The Gingerbread Man.”
Fascinated with the smell of sweet treats wafting through the air and the sight of detailed replicas, children seemed amazed at the gingerbread feat.
For Chantel Boswell, a mother of five, the museum’s event offered a new holiday attraction that allows locals to stay interested in their city.
“Sometimes you forget that there are so many different elements that your city has and all it takes is putting a lens on and seeing things from a different perspective to find the cool things here,” she said. “This is better than what I expected. I am going to need to see about us making our own gingerbread houses.”
Boswell, a self-proclaimed Christmas fanatic, also said she believed the Gingerbread Village was incredible because it fuels families’ creativity.
“I think it’s important for children to see creativity in general because it allows them to expand their minds,” she said. “I mean, even with something as simple as gingerbread, someone came up with the idea of creating that type of cookie, and then someone else came along and said, ‘man, I wonder what it would be like to create houses with that.’”
To Boswell, creativity can be inspired by big and small things, whether it be a groundbreaking discovery or even something as small as candy used in an unconventional manner.
“It’s about just letting your children explore,” she said.
Laura Austin, another attending mother, said she brought her daughter to see the Gingerbread Village because it allowed some relief from the weekly structure of school.
“I didn’t know they did this; I saw it on social media and just planned our day around it. It was something to do locally,” she said, wearing her gingerbread-themed earrings. “We’re always looking to do fun, creative and active things on the weekend.”
Austin also said seeing the colorful displays also ignited holiday excitement in her young child.
“I had no idea what to expect and I was blown away,” she said. “It’s awesome.”
As children eagerly voted for their favorite gingerbread house and raced to find hidden characters throughout the museum, parents could be seen smiling from ear to ear and wishing for a glass of milk as they hungrily eyed the enticing looking houses.
“They’re all amazing displays. It makes me want a treat all the time,” said Lyon. “These bakers put in so much hard work too.”
Although entrance to the gingerbread exhibit is free, admission to the museum is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $3 for children ages 6-18 and free for those 6 and under.
For more information about the Augusta Museum of History, visit: www.augustamuseum.org
