Sugar show new to Alva's Nescatunga Arts Festival, early deadline

 


Bakers and cake artists of all experience levels are welcome to compete in the inaugural Nescatunga Arts Festival Sugar Show set for Saturday, June 4, at 9 a.m. in the eXtreme building in downtown Alva, Oklahoma, as a new event during the festival.

So, what exactly is a Sugar Show?

“If you have ever been to an art show or a county fair, you will find a Sugar Show to be very similar,” said April Ridgway, secretary for the Council who is heading up the new contest. “The contestants enter either decorated cakes, cookies or cupcakes to be judged on appearance and taste. A separate category is reserved for professional sugar artists who want to create inedible cakes that will be judged on appearance only.”

Anyone interested in entering should do so before May 20 as the fee for Professionals and Aspiring Sugar Artists is $10 until then. After this date it will double to $20 to enter. Student entries are free.

The Sugar Show has three levels for the bakers to enter to feel more comfortable about competing against those who share the same amount of decorating experience. All competitors will be allowed one assistant to help with set up that will take place on June 4 from 8 to 8:45 a.m. in the eXtreme building, located at 425 College, which is on the southwest corner of the downtown square.

Professionals will have refined skills and be more advanced in their experience. They generally have four to six years of decorating experience or 60 to 90 hours of cake decorating or sugar art instruction. Pros may enter within two cake categories in their division – an edible cake category that will be judged upon appearance and taste and a non-edible cake category using a “dummy” cake with imitation tiers that must be able to be reproduced into a real cake. It will be judged upon appearance only.

Aspiring Sugar Artists have developing skills and are considered intermediate if they have two to four years of decorating experience or 30 to 60 hours of cake decorating or sugar art instruction. These cake artists will enter the edible cake category that will be judged upon appearance and taste.

Students entering may be in college, high school, middle school or elementary starting at age 5. Each student competing must bake, ice and decorate at least 85 percent of their own entry. For students 17 and under, one parent/guardian may minimally assist with techniques that may be considered a safety risk. These younger students also may have one parent/guardian and one additional assistant to help with set up on June 4.

All cake entries should have at least two tiers.

All ages, skill levels and divisions are welcome to compete in the Cookies and/or Cupcakes divisions and display at least one dozen items in their entry.

Contestants may enter only one item in each category.

Ridgway encourages those entering to practice and prepare all entries for display prior to the contest.

Judging of the entries will begin at 9 a.m. At approximately 10:30 a.m., the doors will be opened to the public to view the entries.

Awards will be presented at approximately 11:30 a.m. There will be first place awards of $50 each presented to the best cakes in the professional artist, professional non-edible sugar art and aspiring artist categories with a $10 prize given to the first place student entry.

Cookies and cupcake first place prizes will be $50 for the overall winner and $10 to the first place student winner.

An additional Best of Show prize sponsored by BancCentral also will be presented.

Ridgway also said the committee is working on offering two workshops in the afternoon to teach others about various aspects of decorating cakes, cookies and cupcakes. More details will be announced soon. Suggestions on topics are welcomed.

For an entry form or additional information on rules and suggestions for the Sugar Show, visit http://www.nescatunga.org/sugar-show or contact Ridgway at 580-917-0101 or [email protected].

For additional information on registering for booths for fine art or crafts for the festival, call 580-327-1647 or email [email protected] or visit the festival’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/nescatungaarts. Entry forms are available at http://www.nescatunga.org. Booth space is available until May 20. Student booth registration is free.

Anyone interested in learning more about entering the Nescatunga Sugar Show can attend a meeting on Saturday, May 14 at 11 a.m. at the Alva Public Library. If you cannot attend the meeting call April Ridgway at 580-917-0101 or email [email protected].

 

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