Gingerbread house rock in Valley Stream

It was beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Pagan-Fletcher Restoration on Sunday. This year’s gingerbread house contest, sponsored by the Valley Stream Historical Society, brought out about a dozen people to the annual event.

Visitors got to cast their vote for their favorite of three unique gingerbread houses, created with gum drops, candy and other sweet treats. Girl Scout Troop 2348, of Valley Stream, won first place along with a $50 cash prize for its edible gingerbread village, complete with a holiday inn. Lisa Nordstrom, of Huntington and 11-year-old Seth DiPossimo, of Oceanside won second and third place, garnering a $30 and $20 cash prize, respectively.

Under the guidance of troop leader Brenna Leighton, the 12 girl scouts had worked on the creation just a day before the event and really enjoyed themselves. “They had lots of fun,” said troop volunteer April Carey.  

In fact, it took the girls about two hours to craft the detailed masterpiece. The older girls had built the edible “holiday inn,” and the younger ones had worked on the smaller details, including the “tasty” trees. Along the way, the girls could not help but eat some of their ingredients.

DiPossimo’s house was a last-minute entry. The Rockville Centre Troop 517 Boy Scout was adding some finishing touches just before the winners were announced. “It’s fun,” he said of the event.

In past years, there have been as many as 30 entries, said Karen Selah, past president of the Historical Society. Such houses were modeled after famous themes and places like Rockefeller Center and the Pagan-Fletcher Restoration. Nordstrom’s entry was a replica of the restoration, which serves as a local history museum for Valley Stream.

The late John J. McKenna, a past president of the Historical Society, started the contest in 1994, Selah said. The winner is determined by a public vote.

“I think the houses are lovely and great,” said Lynbrook resident Victoria O’Moore, who said she was disappointed to see only a few entries. “They are nice, clean and precise. It’s all in the details.”

And visitors not only got to vote on their favorite gingerbread house, but several watched and some participated in an icing demonstration by instructor Pat Baldassare, of the village’s Public Safety department and a former baker. Mayor Ed Fare got in on the action, rolling up his sleeves to decorate a house.

Some children joined in the activity, helping both Fare and Baldassare. And other audience members had their say, encouraging the children, making suggestions and praising Fare’s icing skills.

Downstairs, Historical Society volunteers Agnes Libath and Florence Gunther ran a bake sale. They were both impressed by the contest entries, calling them “outstanding.”