The Port Gingerbread Festival enhances the December holiday season by offering a contest and exhibition of gingerbread houses (and other imaginative structures!) This year the event will take place over three days, December 11-13, at the Central Congregational Church in downtown Newburyport.

Anyone may participate. Our promotional efforts focus on the North Shore, but contest entries and visitors last year came from as far as the South Shore, the western suburbs of Boston, and southern NH.

Our mission is to have fun, strengthen community ties and foster community health through this traditional and accessible folk art. We emphasize volunteer spirit, inclusivity, and opportunity for creativity and inter-generational connection. In 2023 (our first year) we engaged 150+ people of all ages as makers, volunteers, and financial supporters, and we attracted 1,022 visitors to the exhibition. By our third year in 2025, the Festival had grown to be an exhibition of 45 gingerbread creations and attracted more than 1,300 visitors. Total charitable donations: $19,403 since 2023.

There is no charge for contest entry, and admission to the exhibition is free as well, thanks to grants and sponsorships from local businesses and individuals. Donations are encouraged. Net proceeds benefit the non-profit Nourishing the North Shore, which serves people in all North Shore communities by providing access for all to the fresh produce of local farms, in collaboration with food pantries and meal programs.

The Festival provides a showcase for the astonishing artistry that emerges. It is run entirely by volunteers and is an independent non-profit corporation with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. An operations team of 14 people manages the event, with oversight provided by a board of directors.

We collaborate with other local non-profit organizations to cross-promote, and we offer seasonal workshops to share tips and techniques that we've learned over the years.