SoCal’s Largest Gingerbread Competition Invites the Community to Celebrate the Season with the Annual Building Contest and Holiday Display Starting Nov. 19
Discovery Cube, Southern California’s leading children’s science museum, is calling all builders and bakers to participate in the beloved annual holiday competition and celebration of “The Science of Gingerbread,” at both the Los Angeles and Orange County campus locations. As SoCal’s largest gingerbread competition and display event, hundreds of SoCal families, organizations, and gingerbread enthusiasts carefully construct some of the season’s most creative and amazing gingerbread structures. The spirit of the season comes alive as builders young and old, near and far submit some of the most creative, crazy, and confection-laced creations this season.
This year’s “Science of Gingerbread” display and holiday experience will open on Nov. 19, 2022, and runs through January 1, 2023. Online registration is now open for the Gingerbread competition, and entries can be dropped off from Nov. 19 to Dec. 4, 2022. The six-week experience showcases hundreds of sweet submissions at both campuses while allowing guests to try their hand at several holiday activities, including a scrumptious cookie decorating station, a holiday building block station, weekend visits with Santa, holiday photo stations, and more.
“Every aspiring engineer, architect, and baker looks forward to the annual Science of Gingerbread competition to showcase their incredible gingerbread-building and design-making skills,” said Joe Adams, CEO, of Discovery Cube. “At the heart of Science of Gingerbread is the ability to use science and STEAM principles to create elaborate structures and innovative ideas during the construction process. We look forward to this year’s submissions and seeing how clever our community will be with their gingerbread innovations.”
Contest Rules
Online registration is now open and from Nov. 19 through Dec.4, individuals of all ages, organizations, and classrooms can drop off their most festive and structurally sound gingerbread creations to Discovery Cube Los Angeles and Orange County. All Gingerbread entries will be displayed at both campus locations through Jan. 1, 2023. All participants are invited to the Gingerbread Awards ceremony where category winners will be announced that evening. The Awards ceremonies for Orange County entries take place on Dec. 9, 5:30-7:30 p.m., and in Los Angeles on Dec. 10, 6:00–8:30 p.m.
This year’s competition categories include:
- Winter Wonderland
- World of Science (STEM Theme)
- It’s a Small World (Share Your Best Cultural Holiday Traditions)
- Youth 5 & Under
- Youth Ages 6-13
- By a Group (2 or more people: schools, classrooms, organizations, youth groups, etc.)
- By a Professional Baker, Bakery, Restaurant, etc.
Additional Onsite Activities:
- Cookie Decorating: Guests will learn about primary and secondary colors and decorate a cookie to take home.
- Winter Weather Workshop: Guests will be able to learn about winter weather and phenomena, such as the Aurora, rain, and snow, and can create a snow globe thaumatrope.
- Storytime: Guests can hear “Extra Yarn” by Mac Barnett and “Gingerbread Baby” by Jan Brett and learn how to prepare for the cold weather by designing and creating a winter outfit for their paper Gingerbread doll.
- Lego Engineering Tables: Explore basic and foundation design with bricks!
- Snowflake Programmable Art: Guests will explore patterns as they design a virtual winter snowflake
- Visits with Santa Claus: Nov. 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, Dec. 3, 4, 10,11,17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24. Time is 11:00 am – 3:00 pm. Subject to Change.
Plan Your Visit
Discovery Cube Orange County and Los Angeles are open every day, Monday through Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. PT, and guests are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance. For more information on the Science of Gingerbread annual competition and experience, please visit www.discoverycube.org/science-of-gingerbread
About Discovery Cube
Established in 1989, the Discovery Cube is an award-winning 501(c)(3) nonprofit children’s science museum committed to serving the needs and interests of children, educators, and the community at large. With locations in Los Angeles and Orange County, the Cube has hosted over one million children to date to INSPIRE, EDUCATE, and IMPACT young minds with more than one hundred engaging science-based programs, activities, and exhibits. Discovery Cube is focused on four core initiatives – STEM proficiency, early childhood education, healthy living, and environmental stewardship – and offers a range of free and discounted STEM programs, field trips, and digital resources for schools to maximize access for children and educators.