By Gale Hemmann
There’s been an excited buzz going around Olympia. After a brief hiatus in 2013, the much-loved Olympia Gingerbread Village is back. This magical holiday event brings together gingerbread creations of every kind for a two-day viewing downtown (November 29-30, 2014). And even better, the proceeds from this year’s event will benefit SideWalk, an organization working to end homelessness in Thurston County.
The last Gingerbread Village brought over 3,000 excited kids and families through the door. I met with Mary Ann and Kelly Thompson, the local couple who have led the effort to bring back the village this year. Working in partnership with the Olympia Downtown Association, they have been organizing for months to bring the winter wonderland to Olympia families.
The Thompsons, a retired couple with grown children, had always enjoyed baking gingerbread houses as a family tradition. They enjoyed the Gingerbread Village in past years, and missed it last year. They decided to put their love of gingerbread (and helping the community) to work by organizing the 2014 village.
I met with the Thompsons on their boat-home at the Olympia Yacht Club to learn more about this year’s event and everything gingerbread-related, from how they build the amazing creations (hint: plenty of hands, a good recipe, and patience), “building tips” (melted Jolly Ranchers make good windows) and whether you can eat them (you can’t).
At the time of our interview, they had already recruited quite a few “builders” for the event. Participants pay a suggested entry fee and must complete a “building permit” for their structure. The Thompsons have been busy spreading the word, registering builders, securing sponsors, and seeing to all the details. Mary Ann serves as the “Mayor” of the Gingerbread Village, and Kelly wears the hat of “Public Works Director.” Clearly, they put their hearts into this event.
In addition to organizing village, the Thompsons remain avid gingerbread architects. This year, they have headed up a team of culinary artists to create a replica of the Olympia Yacht Club lighthouse.
There are always some unique designs in store at the Gingerbread Village. Last year’s village included everything from a replica of the Washington State Capitol Building (built by the Thompsons and friends) to an A-frame and Rapunzel’s tower. I’m not going to give away any spoilers, but this year’s village is going to boast some very creative buildings too.
It has been quite a task to put the village together. Warm and personable, the Thompsons have also been providing good-natured moral support for builders – they are willing to share their favorite gingerbread recipe, for example, and other building tips to encourage others along. But it is absolutely a labor of love – Kelly says that the look of delight on children’s faces when they enter the village is what makes it all worthwhile.
Kelly and Mary Ann Thompson would like to thank the Olympia Downtown Association, the Olympia Yacht Club, and Olympia Federal Savings for their support of the event.
SideWalk: Connecting People with Homes
The Thompsons are excited that this year’s Gingerbread Village will support SideWalk. Every dollar raised from the Gingerbread Village, from builders’ entry fees to community donations, goes directly to help the nonprofit.
SideWalk earns lots of local praise for their effectiveness and collaborative approach to solving homelessness in Thurston County. Working in partnership with local groups, they offer a range of services to people experiencing homelessness.
Aslan Meade, Volunteer Recruiter for SideWalk, told me that the Gingerbread Village will help SideWalk in several ways. One major way the village benefits SideWalk is through the publicity that comes along with being part of such a beloved local event. He says it’s already been a great way to get the word out about the organization.
He also says the event will hopefully tap into people’s holiday spirit. The funds they donate through the event (the free event has a donation-based voting contest, as well as an auction) will help go directly toward providing homes for Thurston County residents. It takes SideWalk about $2,000.00 to move someone into a home. Each dollar raised by SideWalk is matched by local funds. So for every $1,000.00 the community raises at the Gingerbread Village, a person can be moved into permanent housing. Talk about a “sweet” deal.
Meade says SideWalk has over 50 volunteers doing direct outreach, and a few part-time administrative staff. Over the past three years, they’ve already helped over 200 people transition into housing. Meade says their success in Thurston County has been based on their positive approach. “We play well with everyone … we’ve broken a lot of barriers to help end homelessness and we’re making an impact,” he says.
To find out more about SideWalk and why so many people are excited about what they’re doing, visit their website. You can also “like” them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter (@walkthurston) to keep up to date with their work and accomplishments.
Come See the Gingerbread Village
Are you as excited as I am to see the Gingerbread Village? Well, mark your calendars – the 2014 Gingerbread Village will be open for two days, on Saturday, November 29 (1:00-5:00 p.m.) and Sunday, November 30, 2014 (11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.) in the lobby of the Washington Center for the Performing Arts.
Admission is free. For a pay-what-you-can donation, you can vote on your favorite buildings (kids will love choosing among their favorites). Contest proceeds will benefit SideWalk.
The Gingerbread Village is part of the Olympia Downtown Association’s Downtown for the Holidays event on November 30. If you visit the village on this day, you can also partake in the free day of fun throughout downtown (including a holiday parade, music, and more).
For those who want to have one of the buildings as a lovely holiday decoration for your home or workplace, you can bid on them during a silent auction at the Gingerbread Opening Reception on Saturday evening, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. After the public viewing, these creations will live on in holiday-time homes around Thurston County. Of course, all proceeds from the auction will go help SideWalk as well. (The Thompsons note that the houses will actually stay intact for a year or more if well-stored.) The Opening Reception is also a fun way to get a sneak-preview of the houses as they are officially unveiled.
Christmas is all about the spirit of giving. The Gingerbread Village offers a great way to experience something magical while contributing to a worthy cause. Who knows what kinds of creations you’ll see this year, or where the money raised will help take SideWalk?
Gingerbread Village to Benefit SideWalk
Washington Center for the Performing Arts
512 Washington Street SE
Olympia, WA 98501
Saturday, November 29, 2014 from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 30, 2014 from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
