Dec 1, 2008
Holiday fun, gumdrop by gumdrop
Brian Everstine; The News Tribune
Some of the gingerbread houses at the Children's Museum of Tacoma Gingerbread Jamboree were downright professional-looking.
Others were not quite up to that level.
But no one in Hotel Murano's pavilion could have been more proud of their gingerbread house than Parker Geffen, a not-quite-6-year-old contractor who used gingerbread and frosting as his drywall and mortar.
The orange sour "O" on the front? A wreath, of course. The gumballs on the side? Snowballs. There was even a Chex flag in the back flying above the chocolate-covered pretzel doormats.
"We had a snowman, but he kept leaning over," Parker said.
The Children's Museum brought in hundreds of donated gingerbread houses and buckets of toppings for local families to use as building materials. Sunday's event was the first of two such fundraisers, with more gingerbread houses coming next Sunday.
"For the children of Tacoma, this is a great opportunity," said Rachael Bouma, event co-chairwoman for the Children's Museum.
Bouma brought her family out to make houses for four years before signing on to help this year. It's a festive way to spend time with loved ones, she said, but she had to let the kids go home with her husband after all the sugar kicked in.
"It kicks off the holiday season," she said.
Children's Museum development manager Jennifer Schlatter said that in the three years she has worked the event, she has seen it become a family tradition. Parents and kids get to watch performances by Dance Theatre Northwest and local choirs.
"It was originally a workshop, a family-friendly event and it's just grown," she said.
But the gingerbread houses remain the main draw. Schlatter said volunteers made 400 gingerbread houses, and may need more for the expected 1,000 builders.
Parker's mom, Kerry Geffen, came out with her whole family, but worked on only one gingerbread house as a way to teach teamwork.
Pam Naccarato showed up with her 7-year-old daughter, Mia, and some friends to build a house. She didn't have any idea what it would be like, but before she left Sunday, she had decided to come back next year.
"It's just festive, and the kids are enjoying the other kids," she said.
But Mia wasn't as particular.
"I like all of it," she said.
Brian Everstine: brian.everstine@thenewstribune.com
253-597-8374
The News Tribune
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