To celebrate the holiday season and to let bakers show off their skills, the Retail Bakers of America (RBA) has announced the Gingerbread House Showdown. Free for RBA members and $15 for non-members, the contest, sponsored by PME Cake, will award a prize of $500 to the winning entrant.

Entries must belong to the entrant and must be original. Each person is allowed one submission, which must include a short description or story about their gingerbread house, as well as 3-5 pictures. Entries will be judged on creativity, difficulty and visual appeal.

Gingerbread houses must be 100 percent edible candy/embellishments/materials. Non-edible support structure material other than the baseboard may not be used. No artificial interior materials, such as Styrofoam or wood, are to be used to construct or decorate the house. Non-edible decorations such as paint, ribbon and figurines may be used only to decorate the base. A list of materials used to create the gingerbread house should be submitted with the entry.

The contest deadline is Sunday, December 4 at midnight CST. Judging will take place on Monday, December 12, with winners to be notified by email that same day.

All participants will receive 10 percent off RBA Decorator Certification. Bakers can register through the RBA event listing. Upon registration, they will receive a confirmation email that includes the official submission form.