Open Daily from 10 AM – 4 PM through Sunday, January 8, 2023
Each year the Erie Canal Museum transforms into a festive 1800’s canal town street scene with gingerbread creations on display in storefront windows. The exhibit, which began as a one-day architecture display in 1986, celebrates the holidays, local landmarks, and Central New York's Erie Canal heritage with confectionery creations by professional and amateur bakers of all ages. The Grand Opening for the Gingerbread Gallery will be on Friday, November 25, 2022, when the Museum is open from 10 AM – 8 PM so community members can come see the Gallery before or after the tree lighting in Clinton Square. The day will include live music from Merry Mischief from 4 PM – 6 PM.
The 37th Annual Gingerbread Gallery is on display through January 8, 2023. The Museum is open daily from 10 AM to 4 PM, but closes at 2 PM on December 24 and 31, and is closed all day November, 24, December 25 and January 1. Admission to the Erie Canal Museum, which included the Gingerbread Gallery, is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors (65+), $4 for children (3-18) and free for children 2 & under.
The forty gingerbread submissions will be judged by a panel of local leaders on the basis of overall appeal, originality, difficulty, and creative use of materials. Top bakers in the Youth, Family/Group, and Senior categories will be honored with ribbons. Cash prizes go to the top three winners in the Confectioner category, and a special ribbon is awarded to the baker whose work is judged to best represent the Erie Canal.
The winners will be announced the week of December 19. Museum visitors can vote for the People's Choice winner through December 31. The winner of this award will be announced after the New Year.
Fun facts:
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- The first Gingerbread Gallery at the Erie Canal Museum celebrated the architecture of local buildings. It was a one-day event on December 13, 1986 with over 700 visitors.
- Gingerbread has been baked in Europe for centuries and can take on the form of a thin, crisp cookie or “snap” cake or bread.
- The German fairy tale Hansel & Gretel popularized the creation of gingerbread houses. These elaborate decorations have become traditions during the holiday season.
Gingerbread, in architecture and design, is a term used to describe elaborately detailed embellishment.
Established in 1962, the Erie Canal Museum preserves and showcases the only existing weighlock building in the United States, and shares the history and impact of the Erie Canal through permanent and changing exhibits, interactive displays, audio narratives, and original artifacts. The Erie Canal Museum’s programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. The Erie Canal Museum is funded in part by a Humanities New York SHARP Grant with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the federal American Rescue Plan Act. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed by the Erie Canal Museum do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information about the Erie Canal Museum, visit https://eriecanalmuseum.org or email outreach@eriecanalmuseum.org.
