In just nine years, the Kent Gingerbread Festival in Kent, Conn., has gone from being just fun to being quite a big deal. It’s one of the biggest gingerbread festivals in the region and has become a big draw to town, even in years when there’s a pandemic quarantine. This year, to make it easier to access the houses, the festival organizers used space in a retail area in the center of town owned by Rocco and Candi Valeri, that was converted for the holiday season to Gingerbread Station.
The cookie creations were on display for the month of December. Awards were announced Jan. 1; the judging this year was by state Rep. Maria Horn (D-64) and Jill Owens Zinzi, of Kent Coffee and Chocolate Co., described as “the mother of the Kent Gingerbread Festival herself.”
The grand prize winner this year was Brittany Hrabcsak, who has been an award winner in the festival for several years in a row now (for her first foray into gingerbread decoration she was young enough to qualify for the Youth Award). This year, Hrabcsak created Whoville from Dr. Seuss’ holiday tale, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
Sue Hanneman won second place for her recreation of Rapunzel in her castle tower.
Third place was awarded to the Swyft restaurant team.
The people’s choice award went to Denise Howard, Teddie Miner, Cat Heidel, Karen Heuvel, and Janette Ireland.
“Social Media’s most loved creation” went to Isabel Carrington and Emily Creighton, whose post of their gingerbread Warner Theatre reached 19,200 followers and elicited 3,100 comments.
The Youth Award was won this year by Jordana Berman, Abby Berman and Alexander Berman, who recreated the Kent train station (now home to the Kent Station Pharmacy).
The prize for Most Realistic creation went to Tom Doyle, for building a fully edible cookie version of the exterior AND interior of Foreign Cargo.
Just starting out this year, the Salisbury, Conn., gingerbread festival and holiday decorating competition announced two winners at the end of December. Heidi Hoeller and Wanda Hoeller won the gingerbread contest with their Gingerville Ski Chalet; and the Hussey Family of Lakeville won first place in the Light Up Salisbury contest. Both contests were sponsored by the Salisbury Volunteer Ambulance and Salisbury Recreation.
Isabel Carrington and Emily Creighton not only know how to bake and decorate like pros, they also collected tens of thousands of views on social media for their cookie version of the Warner Theatre in Torrington, Conn. Photo by Melissa Roth Chernisk
Rapunzel and her tower were captured in cookies by Sue Hanneman, whose baking and decorating efforts won her second place in the Kent, Conn., Gingerbread Festival. Photo by Melissa Roth Chernisk
Henry Loher flew farther than any other competitor at Jumpfest 2025
While spectators look skyward to watch the high-flying athletes, Jumpfest will also invite the community to look back on Salisbury’s deep-rooted ski jumping history.
Ski jumping originated in Norway in the 19th century and is a tradition familiar to most Nordic children. That was the case for the five Satre brothers — John, Magnus, Ottar, Sverre and Olaf — who grew up competing in ski jumping and cross-country skiing.
When John Satre moved to Salisbury in 1923 to work as a chauffeur, he brought the tradition with him. The rolling hills and heavy winters of the Northwest Corner resembled those of Norway, allowing John to seamlessly integrate his passion into his new community.
Within a year, his brothers followed. In 1926, John Satre captivated roughly 200 spectators by skiing off a snow-covered barn roof.
The brothers soon formed the Salisbury Outing Club — now known as the Salisbury Winter Sports Association (SWSA) — and began construction of a permanent ski jump in the same location it sits today: Satre Hill.
John Satre, 1927Photo provided
By 1933, the Satre brothers had won numerous championships and helped popularize the sport across the United States. Salisbury hosted the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1932, and the following year hosted the National Championships.
Tragically in 1934, at the age of 40, John Satre was killed in a car accident. The New York Times hailed him as a pioneer in U.S. skiing and his legacy is carried on in the winter sports culture that is nurtured in Salisbury today.
During this time, local children were introduced to the sport, creating makeshift jumps in their backyards out of crates and hay bales. One of these children was Richard Parsons, who became the first Salisbury resident to earn recognition for cross country skills. He earned a spot for the 1932 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Games and in 1936 competed in the Winter Olympics in Garmisch, Germany, where he was the leading American-born cross-country skier.
Ottar Satre, 1931Photo provided
During World War II, young athletes who would have normally been jumping were enlisted in the service, causing a lull in the sport and deterioration of the jump itself. After the war, however, community members eagerly worked to rebuild the jump, and another Salisbury athlete emerged.
Roy Sherwood was first introduced to ski jumping when his father built him and his brother their own ski jump in their backyard. Sherwood quickly gained ground, earning himself the title of “hometown hero.” By 1954, Sherwood was offered a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team for the 1956 games in Cortina, Italy.
Sherwood’s path to the Olympics was far from easy. A year before the Games, he was diagnosed with polio, threatening his ability to compete. He recovered enough to travel to Italy, only to hit an icy patch during a practice run.
Sherwood rebounded and competed the next day, placing 36th out of 51 — the second-highest finish by an American — and was later inducted into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame.
Today, four jumps line Satre Hill — K10, K20, K30, and K65. The 65-meter jump is used for competitions, and the smaller jumps are used to teach local youth during winter camps.
Islay Sheil, a Housatonic Valley Regional High School student and Lakeville resident, is the current SWSA athlete on the rise in ski jumping today. Her passion for the sport emerged during one of the SWSA winter camps, and last March earned gold in the Junior National Championships. The next Junior National Championships will be hosted in Salisbury in 2027.
While Salisbury celebrates the 100th anniversary of its own ski jump this year, the Olympic Games will be held in Milan and Cortina, Italy, the same place that Sherwood gained global recognition.
To honor the town’s remarkable history and tradition of ski jumping, Jumpfest will begin early with a Winter Warmer on Jan. 31 between 5:30 to 8 p.m. It will be at the home of Salisbury First Selectman Curtis Rand. Small plates and drinks will be served. Limited tickets are available for $50 and more details can be found at Jumpfest.org/100years/
On Feb. 1, a double feature screening of On the Hill and Downhill Racer will be held at The Moviehouse in Millerton, followed by a panel discussion on winter sports and SWSA’s role in Salisbury’s history. There will also be a raffle and SWSA merchandise for sale.
Tickets for the showing are $16 and details can be found at Jumpfest.org/100years/.
Magnus Satre, 1932Photo provided
On Friday, Feb. 6, Jumpfest will host community night at Satre Hill. SWSA will offer free admission for the night. Gates open at 6 p.m. and “Target Jumping Under the Lights” will begin at 7 p.m. There will be fireworks sponsored by NBT Bank, bonfires, and food and drinks available for purchase. The Human Dogsled Race is set for 8:30 p.m. Teams of five can register at Jumpfest.org
On Saturday, Feb. 7, the Junior Competition on K20 jump will begin at 9 a.m. The Salisbury Invitational Ski Jumping Competition will practice from 11 a.m. to noon and compete at 1 p.m. Community members are invited to the Snow Ball at the Lakeville Town Grove at 8 p.m. Dancers will be accompanied by live music from the Steve Dunn Band. Entrance to the Ball is $20 with children 12 and under free of charge.
On Sunday, Feb 8, Satre Hill will hold the Eastern U.S. Ski Jumping Championships. Athletes will practice between 11 a.m. to noon and compete at 1 p.m.
When describing the community that surrounds the ski jumps, Willie Hallihan of SWSA explained that the length of time and number of people involved on an emotional level has made the sport “iconic to Salisbury.”
Hallihan recounted in the PBS documentary “The Jump” that the ski jumps are “like a family member to a lot of people”.
