The River Falls Public Library is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The library is closed on Sundays. The library will be closed on Thursday November 25 – Sunday November 28, 2021, Friday December 10, Thursday December 23 – Saturday December 25.

gingerbread contest

Between Monday, November 29 and Wednesday, December 1, drop off your gingerbread creation.

Categories include:

Whimsical design

• Adult – 18 years and over

• Group/Family – Created with adults and children, all ages

• Teens – 12 to 17 years old (no adult help)

• Youth – 11 and under (no adult assistance)

Traditional/architectural design

• Adult – 18 years and over

• Group/Family – Created with adults and children, all ages

• Teens – 12 to 17 years old (no adult help)

• Youth – 11 and under (no adult assistance)​

Kits – All ages

Graham Cracker House/Design – Ages 5 and under (with adult assistance)

First place will receive a Chamber Check award of $25 for each category; second place will receive sets of library prizes for each category; and People’s Choice will receive a Chamber Check award of $50.

Entry in the Traditional/Architectural or Fanciful categories must be original. No Gingerbread Kits are allowed except in the Design Kit category. All entrances must have major components (such as walls and roofs) constructed out of gingerbread. Traditional/architectural designs can be buildings of all kinds. Fancy designs can be non-constructive structures and scenes.

Suction cups, wrapped candies, battery-operated lights and minimal inedible decorations are allowed.

Entries must have been constructed between November 1, 2021 and December 1, 2021 and must not exceed 24″x18″ and must be freestanding. You can work in a group, but you can only be part of one application. The categories of adolescents and young people must be judged according to their age. (Santa’s Elves will know if adults help!)

Drop off a completed Entry Form (which can be found in the Library and online) with the completed Gingerbread Entry at the Library by the dates listed below.

Completed entries must be delivered during library hours beginning Monday, November 29 and no later than 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, December 1.

The public vote will take place from Thursday December 2 to Wednesday December 8.

All winners will be announced at the Holiday Open House on Thursday, December 9.

The creations will remain on display in the library until the end of the day on Monday, December 20 and must be picked up before 8 p.m. on Wednesday, December 22. Uncollected entries will be discarded.

Events to come

Winter Open Days

On Thursday, December 9, from noon to 7:30 p.m. at the River Falls Public Library, 140 Union Street, the annual Winter Open House is free and open to the public. The event will include live music, refreshments, crafts, performances by costumed singers from River Falls High School and the Winsome Hollow String Band, henna art, face painting, games with Fox Den Books and live reindeer. Everyone is encouraged to stop by and vote for their favorite Gingerbread creation throughout the day.

Author Abby Jimenez

This virtual event will take place on Thursday, December 9 at 6:30 p.m. Watch a live interactive projection in the library’s lower level community room or at home on the library’s Facebook page or YouTube channel.

Jimenez is a New York Times bestselling author, Food Network champion, and founder of Nadia Cakes. Chapter2Books will be at the event to sell books.

Al & Mrs. Al’s Kettle Corn will be selling bags of hot corn in the lobby from 3-7 p.m. for $6 per bag while supplies last.

Please visit www.riverfallspubliclibrary.org for a full list of scheduled events.