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Benton Area Chamber of Commerce Downtown Benton's Third Thursday is July 17th

December 7, 2023 By Shelli Poole

Register for MySaline’s Christmas Cookie Contest at the Farmers Market Dec 9th

by

It’s free to enter! Scroll down ?? for contest rules and entry link!

UPDATE 12/11/2023:

SEE THE RESULTS VIDEO & WINNERS AT
www.mysaline.com/ccc-2023 

UPDATE 12/07/2023: 

⛈️Stormy weather is coming Saturday, so we’ve moved the event to the ?gymnasium at First United Methodist Church ⛪in downtown Benton! (map) It’s still the same time though! 1-3pm. 

MySaline.com presents the 4th Annual Christmas Cookie Contest at 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 9th, 2023. Bring your best batch and compete for prizes! ????

Shelli Poole of MySaline will host the contest at the Downtown Benton Farmers Market, 125 W. Ashley St. Judges will sample each cookie and come up with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners! It’s free to enter, and the winners will get prizes!

?SPONSORS:

Thanks so much to the presenting sponsor of this contest, Horton’s Orthotics and Prosthetics! Horton’s has several locations in Arkansas. They are a full-service orthotic and prosthetic lab. Family owned and operated. Follow them at www.hortonsoandp.com, or on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. Contact Horton’s O&P at 501-663-2908 or [email protected].

Thanks to our supporting sponsors, DJ Motley State Farm Insurance • Chicken Salad Chick • Prime Realty & Property Management. • Starling Music Studio • Tranquility Spa & Beauty • Otter Creek Family Dentistry • Forever Fused Permanent Jewelry

We are still accepting supporting sponsors… Email [email protected] if you’d like info about sponsoring. Tonnnnns of people read and hear about this contest every year and they will see your ad!

Thanks also to Benton Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council for volunteering every year. Click to see what they’re doing with “Elf My Yard” and “Grinch My Yard” this year.

?CONTESTANTS:

Here’s our wrap-up video from last year. ? Consider it a payment from us for making you read all of the info below!??????

This contest is FREE to enter. Admission and cookies are both free to everyone participating, so after the judges get their samples, it’s open season for everyone to eat cookies! There will also be a skating rink right next to this event at the Farmers Market. There will be a special inclusive event at the rink that day! ⛸ For info about reservations for skating, go through Benton Parks and Rec at this link. 

The cookie entries will be placed on tables and numbered. Judges will get their cookies first and then it will be open to the public. The cookies are free.

 

Register for the contest using the info and link below. ?? If you have questions, email [email protected].

?CONTEST RULES?

PLACE
TIME
  • The deadline- WE HAD AN OVERWHELMING EARLY RESPONSE, SO WE’RE NOT TAKING ANY MORE REGISTRATIONS. 
  • The event is on Saturday, December 9, 2023 at 1-3 p.m.
  • MySaline staff will be there by Noon to set up tables, tablecloths and set up a station for beverages.
  • Contestants can come as early as Noon. (any help is appreciated!)
  • All contestants should be there by 12:30 p.m.
  • Judging begins at 1 p.m.
  • 1st, 2nd and 3rd place will be announced at around 2:00-2:30 p.m.
  • We need to start cleaning up around 2:40pm and out of the pavilion by 3 p.m. (Again, any help is appreciated!)
DECOR
  • You’ll share space on a table and it will have a plastic tablecloth. You can decorate your plate/platter/basket/box of cookies with ribbon, garland, paper underneath, figurines or other props next to the cookies, etc.
JUDGING
  1. The cookie entries will each get a number.
  2. Don’t put your name on your entry, since we’re making an effort for the judges to be unbiased.
  3. Do give your cookie entry a name. Be as creative as you like. It may work in your favor.
  4. Judges will look over the entries first. Then sit down and have plates of cookies brought to them, with the numbers on the entries.
  5. Once again, they’ll just have the numbers on the cookies – not the names of people.
  6. The winning cookies will be decided according to the judges’ collective opinion.
  7. Cookies will be judged on 1️⃣Taste, 2️⃣Appearance and 3️⃣Christmas Spirit.
  8. In the end, judges will discuss, then decide on the top 3.
  9. Remember, this is just a local cookie contest, so let’s all be good sports whether or not you win. The main thing is to have fun – and to eat cookies!

⭐⭐⭐REGISTRATION LINK

THE FLYER/WEB PAGE/FACEBOOK EVENT

  • Flyer will be attached below – coming soon!
  • The Facebook event page is coming soon!
  • Please invite your friends and family!

?FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Email questions to [email protected] and I’ll answer them below.

QUESTION:

  • When it says we bring 3 dozen of each cookie type we enter, does that mean all 3 dozen are the same shape and design? Or does it mean they are all the same kind of cookie with the same kind of icing, but can be a variety of designs?

ANSWER:

  • They can be different designs but they need to be the same type of cookie. For example, if you enter a sugar cookie, it can be all different shapes but the same recipe, and that’s considered one entry.

QUESTION:

  • Can it be any variety of cookie?

ANSWER:

  • Yes! Be as creative as you like. Just remember it will be judged on 1️⃣?Taste, 2️⃣?Appearance and 3️⃣?Christmas Spirit.

QUESTION:

  • Will the tables and things be provided or do we need to bring it?

ANSWER:

  • We will have tables, tablecloths, and napkins. If your entry needs a spatula, fork, etc. we just ask you to bring that. We don’t do plates, just napkins, because one year, a greedy guest messed that up for everyone.

QUESTION:

  • Can we set up any display we’d like?

ANSWER:

  • You can bring decor if you like for your dish(es). We will have plastic tablecloths. We hope to have all red. The bakers won’t be seated with their cookies. We try to put 3 cookie entries to a table, so think about your display fitting in about a 2 x 2ft area. Display dishes including tiered display are encouraged. Remember that it might be windy. Arkansas weather is silly.

QUESTION:

  • Do the bakers have to talk about their cookies?

ANSWER:

  • Nope! Just bring your entry. Be ready to wait up to a couple of minutes for us to assign your space (it’s a frenzy when everyone shows up at once!) We’ll check you off the contestant list, give you a contestant number, and you can set up your display in your spot. 

If you’re looking for more events going on in Saline County, we keep a list at www.mysaline.com/events.