Alva Review-Courier -

A fine artist spends hours, days, weeks and beyond perfecting their masterpiece. Cake decorating is certainly a version of fine art and will be recognized as such at the Nescatunga Arts Festival in Alva Saturday, June 6.

Are you one of those bakers who has everyone request you make their specialty decorated cake, cupcakes or cookies? Now is your chance to shine as brightly as the smiles that people get when they see and taste your creations. Maybe your buttercream frosted cupcakes are a mile high; your sugar cookies are super moist and have just the right hint of that secret ingredient; a layer cake made by you has the yummiest filling and the most beautiful roses.

If you love to bake and decorate cakes, cookies or cupcakes – mark your calendar for Saturday, June 6. It's the 51st Annual Nescatunga Arts Festival put on by the Nescatunga Arts and Humanities Council in Alva.

Typically a hot, harvest weather kind of day, the festival is held outdoors on the shady Woods County Courthouse lawn from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Because of the need for cool temperatures to keep the decorated confections at their optimum condition, the Sugar Show will be held inside an air-conditioned building known as The Extreme, located on the southwest corner of Alva's downtown square at College and Barnes streets.

"There's no restrictions on who can enter," Nescatunga member April Ridgway said. She came up with the idea to hold a Sugar Show at the festival after attending successful ones in Tulsa and a few other locations.

The art of creating sweet confections like this decorated layer cake, cookies and cupcakes is now a contest at the Nescatunga Arts Festival in Alva Saturday, June 6.

Contestants can enter decorated layer cakes, cupcakes and/or cookies. Entry fee is $10. A First Place Prize of $50 will be awarded for each category.

Youth who are college level and below may enter for free. A $10 prize will be given in each of the three categories in that division.

Ridgway said the Nescatunga committee is considering having a theme for the festival this year. If so, they will announce it this spring and the Sugar Show will incorporate the theme. For display of the confection entries, the committee will provide tables and tablecloths.

On entries, Ridgway said decorated cakes must be layered. Bakers making cupcakes and cookies must provide at least a dozen for the public to sample. Besides the two judges Ridgway selected, she said they hope to have a Spectator Award as well.

April Ridgway welcomes you to contact her with questions for this new, fun and sweet part of the Nescatunga Arts Festival at 580-917-0101.