The Erie Canal Museum in downtown Syracuse invites bakers of all ages to register for the 38th Annual Gingerbread Gallery, a display of confectionery creations that celebrates the holidays and the Erie Canal. Each year the Erie Canal Museum Weighlock Gallery transforms into a festive 1800’s canal town street scene with gingerbread creations on display in storefront windows. Find the details and register to participate at eriecanalmuseum.org/gingerbread.
Registrations to participate in the Gingerbread Gallery are accepted through Friday, November 3. Anyone can participate in the Confectioners Competition, which is the only category that has an entry fee, but also competes for a cash prize! The other categories, which are free to enter and compete for ribbons, are Youth, Senior, and General. While having an Erie Canal themed gingerbread creation is not required, it is encouraged. Each year, the judges award a special ribbon for the creation with the best incorporation of the Erie Canal.
“We are so grateful to our creative community members who amaze and delight us with new gingerbread creations each year,” says Natalie Stetson, Executive Director of the Erie Canal Museum. There are usually more than 30 creations on display, with submissions varying from canal boats to Santa’s workshop. The Gingerbread Gallery, in its 38th year, is part of the holiday tradition for thousand of Central New York families.
The 38th Annual Gingerbread Gallery will be on display from Friday, November 17, 2023 through Sunday, January 7, 2024. The Museum is open daily from 10 AM to 4 PM, but closes at 2 PM on December 24 and 31, and is closed all day December 25 and January 1. On Friday, November 24, the Museum will be open until 6 PM with live music from Merry Mischief from 4 -6 PM. Admission to the Erie Canal Museum, which included the Gingerbread Gallery, is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors (65+), $4 for children (3-18) and free for children 2 & under. All Museum Members receive a Family Pass good for admission for up to six people during the Gingerbread Gallery. Memberships start at $40 and can be purchased online or at the Museum.

The Erie Canal Museum engages the public in the story of the Erie Canal’s transformative impacts on peoples and places in the past, present, and future. Established in 1962, the Erie Canal Museum shares 200 years of Erie Canal history through interactive displays, original artifacts, and public programs. The Erie Canal Museum’s programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funding from the City of Syracuse Arts & Culture Recovery Fund Program, a regrant program of the City Of Syracuse administered by CNY Arts. For more information about the Erie Canal Museum, visit https://eriecanalmuseum.org or email [email protected].