Gingerbread Village coming back to Scugog Memorial Library

COURTNEY McCLURE,

The Standard

SCUGOG: After a two year hiatus, the Scugog Memorial Library welcomes the Bakersville Animated Gingerbread Village to the Kent Farndale Gallery.

Come celebrate 25 years of the gingerbread village display with the Bakersville Gingerbread Village Committee chair, Tracy Pastic, and her fellow “village people.”

Ms. Pastic said, she hopes the community and visitors will enjoy the display, as they have in past years.

The idea for the gingerbread village display, as a fundraiser for Reye’s syndrome, came from former committee member Sue Bradley. Reye’s syndrome is typically found in children, but can occur at any age. It affects all organs, but poses the most threat to the liver and brain.

In the past, the display was often constructed in collaboration with students from the Prince Albert Public School where the students would make gingerbread houses.

Sometime after, Sue Bradley collaborated with Linda Baca, the Scugog Memorial Library Children’s program coordinator at the time. Together, they decided to turn the gingerbread houses into a full village display hosted at the library.

The display differs each year, as creations are made by multiple local families, organizations and businesses across the Scugog community. “We never know what we’re going to get,” explained Ms. Pastic.

Multiple “animations” are included in the display, making the village feel more realistic and life-like to viewers. This year, the committee will be adding a moving ferris wheel to the village. Other additions include: a ski and snowboard hill, a hockey and skating rink and a moving train.

The creation of individual gingerbread homes and buildings for the display is not meant to be a competition, stressed Ms. Pastic. She hopes people have fun with their creations and build them alongside friends and family.

If participating families do not wish to reclaim their structure, the committee uses the well-structured remains as window decorations for many local businesses.

Local businesses appreciate having the displays up in their storefront windows and look forward to it each year. Displaying the remains of the village in local windows also helps advertise the village for next year.

If there is any gingerbread left over which isn’t structurally-sound or movable, the committee composts it.

The village is free to view and will be on display, starting Dec. 3rd to Dec. 31st.

When viewing the gingerbread village, you’re welcome to wear a mask, especially if there are many people inside the gallery at one time.