It’ll be sweet — so get ready to put on your creative thinking cap, get your hands a bit sticky and put your favorite sugary treats to good use at the upcoming Holiday Gingerbread Challenge at the Coupeville Library.

The annual challenge invites creative people of all ages to build gingerbread creations, not limited to traditional gingerbread houses.

“We actually encourage people to come up with other ideas,” Library Manager Leslie Franzen said.

Past entrees have included reindeer, snowy winter scenes, farmland and replicas of locations around Whidbey. But the classic gingerbread house is, of course, welcome as well.

“It’s a fabulous community event; it really shows how wonderful our community is,” Franzen said.

The gingerbread extravaganza kicks off each year with a workshop the first Sunday after Thanksgiving, providing the public the materials and opportunity to build a gingerbread creation.

Members of the public can also make their entries at home.

The following are the dates to watch for:

Nov. 26 to Dec. 22: Deliver entries to the Coupeville Library no later than 11 a.m. on Dec. 22

Dec. 22: Official judging will take place

Dec. 23: Winners will be announced at 1 p.m. in conjunction with the Red Ticket Drawing at the Island County Museum

Dec. 31: Please pick up your entry by this date.

Several judges along with voters will decide which gingerbread entries will earn top prizes. Judging criteria include overall appearance, difficulty, creativity and originality, technique and skill.

Entries will be displayed in the library until the Dec. 31, so don’t forget to retrieve your hard work.

“Folks get to vote on their favorites, it’s really participatory. That’s what I love about it,” Franzen said. “It shows fabulous community spirit.”

• The Gingerbread Workshop and Challenge is supported by several organizations, including The Coupeville Historic Waterfront District, Friends of the Coupeville Library, Front Street Realty and the Whidbey News-Times.