The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON - Elementary aged kids sat gathered around a long table in the County Cupboard Tuesday, Nov. 20, piping white frosting along gingerbread cookies and occasionally sneaking a taste of the sugary snacks.

The gingerbread-making session was organized in preparation for a gingerbread house making contest held in the basement of the Dayton Memorial Library on Wednesday, Nov. 21.

While there were only eight entries for the contest, organizer Lois Hemphill said the event was still a success.

"The kids seemed excited about it," Hemphill said.

The gingerbread-making contest broke the children's entries into six categories, two and three year olds, four and five year olds, kindergarteners, first and second graders and third and fourth graders. Six children won first place in the different categories and two kids took second place.

Hemphill said about 14 people showed up for the gingerbread house making session. Country Cupboard owners Chuck and Raylene Sursley provided the supplies for the event where participants could pay $8 and make a gingerbread house.

"They had a blast making the houses," Hemphill said.

Hemphill said because more people attended the session at the Country Cupboard than the actual contest, she is considering combining the session and the contest so children can go directly from making the houses to entering them in the contest.

Overall, Hemphill said she was happy to have more participants than last year and she hopes to have an even better turnout next year.

"Next year, I'm hoping to have 20 to 30 (participants) to make it a real contest," Hemphill said.