What at first started five years ago as a simple and fun event for the town now has the potential for national recognition.

Yoder’s Shopping Center is holding its annual Gingerbread House Decorating Contest and display through Jan. 2, with LaGrange County residents submitting work to be judged. Winners will be announced at 11 a.m. Saturday at Yoder’s Shopping Center, where prizes of $500, $300 and $200 will be awarded.

This year, world-renowned pastry instructor Elizabeth Parvu, one of three judges for the show, recommended that two of the gingerbread houses be entered into national competitions.

“The work on these two pieces is so neatly and precisely done, these could easily compete on the national level.

“I have a large international audience that listens to me so I have to be very careful about what I say or whom I recommend,” Parvu said. “I believe the first-place entry especially needs to be seen other places.”

Guidelines for the judging include original design or theme, creative use of materials, level of difficulty, structural integrity (no cracking; no leaning) and overall appearance.

Nonprofessional bakers who live in or around LaGrange County created the gingerbread house entries.

Kathy Chester, a human resources manager for Yoder Department Store and co-chairperson of the event, said, while previous years have received a large number of entries, this year the number of participants was smaller.

“I would love to see our entire hallway filled with gingerbread houses,” Chester said, referring to Yoder Shopping Center’s 280-foot hallway.
“The event is tied in with all the monthly Christmas festivities Shipshewana hosts throughout the month of December, and we want this to be a fun, family-oriented project,” Chester said.

Also on Saturday, Yoder’s Shopping Center is participating in the town-wide Kid’s Day festivities.

Kids can have their faces painted, create Christmas cards for American troops, watch model steam engine trains and view a life-size display of Santa and his elves.

From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the author and illustrator Rebecca Williams and Hilary Burchett of “The First Snow of Winter,” will sign their books.

From  9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Parvu will create gingerbread reindeer and Christmas trees from sugar paste. Parvu owns Sugarpaste in South Bend, a company that manufactures and ships sugar crystal colors worldwide to cake decorators and pastry chefs.