Recent weeks have brought a sudden influx of gingerbread people to the village of Chester, as it celebrates another Gingerbread Festival. In various guises, the gingerbread figures have been showing up all around the village and, despite the rainy weather, these gingerbreads have remained crisp and bright. Among the first to arrive were members of the Dixieland band stationed on the balcony of the Fo’c’s’le Tavern.
Maybe it was the lively Dixie tunes emanating from the balcony during Happy Hour that enticed these dancers out on the same balcony. With their top hats and canes, they appear to be gamely trying to adapt their can-can to the rag-time tunes.
A contest involving the creation of a gingerbread house brought fewer entries this year but some residents got into the spirit by decorating their real homes and business establishments, which sometimes resulted in a mix of early Christmas overlaid with gingerbread fantasy.
Motifs incorporated in the dozens of commercial displays ran the gamut from bakeries to gift shops to inns and much more; even several of the churches dressed gingerbread figures in appropriate garb.
And, now, from the sublime to the saucy…
The images in this post show only a few of the many figures that are on display around the village from Dec 1 – 16. To see more photos of the ginger people, check Gingerbread Festival in Chester on Facebook, a page established by the Chester Art Centre. Members of Chester Garden Club are reminded that the club’s annual Christmas party will take place on Monday, December 17th. Details re the time and place have been circulated to all members, and we look forward to celebrating in good cheer as we kick off the holiday season.
