SUNRIVER — Upstairs in the lodge Saturday, dozens of decadent dwellings sat on display, ready to be devoured — with the eyes. (After sitting out for a month, the creations probably aren’t so tasty anymore.)

In its 20th year, the Gingerbread Junction at Sunriver Resort drew visitors even the day after Christmas. Local schools, businesses and residents contributed gingerbread houses to the contest.

Celebrating her birthday a day early with a cozy party indoors, Delfina Todd, 8 (as of today), checked out the different gingerbread homes with her friends and younger sister.

“Let’s go find third place,” Delfina said, leading the group. The children oohed and awed over the colorful creations, made with a wide variety of sweet supplies: vanilla wafers, pretzel rods, graham crackers, candy canes, candy rocks, frosting, chocolate bars and even Froot Loops.

Entry fees for the competition go to Newberry Habitat for Humanity, which helps build or renovate housing in southern Deschutes County.

Delfina said her favorite gingerbread home was a round cabin (the roof tiles made from oyster crackers) with the Grinch inside near a fireplace. His trusty dog, Max, in reindeer antlers, waited patiently outside in the fake snow.

Her little sister, Althea, 6, said the Whoville gingerbread display was her favorite. It was a good year for Seuss in Sunriver.

“We’ve come before to do the sleigh ride for her birthday,” said Clint Todd, the girls’ dad, of Bend. This year though, he said, the Gingerbread Junction seemed like a good idea.

It can be hard having a birthday so close to Christmas, Todd said, but Saturday, Delfina seemed to be having a good time with friends and family.

After taking a tour of the edible abodes, the children gathered at a table to make their own stuffed animals, an activity the resort offered over the past few Saturdays during the holidays at $25 per creation.

The birthday girl chose a bunny, Althea chose a penguin, Finley Werhman, 7, picked a duck and Miles Martin, 8, selected a moose.

As they filled the slouching fuzzy bodies with stuffing, the children chattered about what they might name their new friends and what special “wishes” (in the shapes of hearts and stars) they would tuck inside before sealing the animals up.

“How about snow?” Delfina offered as an idea for a wish.

“I don’t think we need to wish for that,” Kristin Nelson, Delfina’s mom, said. Outside of the lodge, piles of snow proved her point.

When it came to the real wishes they would tuck inside, the children kept those to themselves. They needed to be “silent wishes,” of course, to come true.

Althea tucked her wish inside her penguin and closed her eyes tightly, scrunching her face — not a performance, as she didn’t realize anyone was even watching. Her parents grinned.

“Must be an extra good wish,” Nelson said.

As the children lined up to have their newborn animals receive their birth certificates from Sunriver staff, another crowd of people came into the gingerbread room to see this year’s entries.

Corol Ann Cary, 68, of Bend, eyed the details on the first gingerbread homes near the entrance.

Her husband, Todd Cary, 77, followed not far behind with his camera. The couple said they’ve enjoyed coming to the Gingerbread Junction over the years to see people’s creativity on display around Christmas.

“We used to make these with our kids,” Corol Ann Cary said, adding those gingerbread homes weren’t nearly as intricate as the ones in Sunriver on Saturday.

But she does have a special tip for those looking to make their own — the gingerbread needs to be extra hard to maintain its structure. She has the perfect recipe.

— Reporter: 541-383-0325,

kfisicaro@bendbulletin.com