Sweet Success:
Sugar Showdown Warms Hearts and Builds Community One Treat at a Time
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Paradis Ace Hardware.
BAR HARBOR—Let’s start this off with the obvious: sugar plays an important role in the deliciousness that is Island Connection’s Sugar Showdown, but it’s not all there is to adore.
“This community loves this event,” said one of the event judges, Lori Bartlett.
There was a lot to love.
Tea cakes. Narwhals. Adorable penguins on a glacier perched in front of spruce trees. A chocolate layer cake with mousse and fruit compote filling and ganache drizzle. “Summer Confections,” which was an edible art still life of warmer days, featured corn on the cob, potato chips, and a burger that were only posing as those items. Instead, they were sugary magic. Table after table offered up selections to sample and some intended to be show stoppers.
Some of the bakers began planning as soon as possible. They thought. They researched. They tested out recipes. They wondered. They created.
And some only found out about the Sugar Showdown the night before and improved their way through.
It didn’t matter how they came to share food and community and raise money.
What mattered was this: the event happens because people volunteered; they made an effort; they used creativity and skill to organize something pretty magical in the middle of a Maine winter; they used creativity and skill to bake; they used kindness and generosity to feed each other, to applaud each other.
Stand by a table and you’d hear a litany of praise.
“Those are so cute.”
“These are so good.”
“Try these. Try these! They are awesome.”
“Wow. You’re talented.”
In a world where local and national politics often only speak in polarities, events like the Sugar Showdown illustrate something entirely different than the loudest social media posts and newspaper headlines.
It illustrates what a community actually is.
It’s this: It’s generosity. It’s meeting each other. It’s making acquaintances into friends. It’s praise. It’s delicious treats. It’s coming out of a cold Maine February day and into a place of warmth.
“This event is all about spreading love just like our volunteers do year-round, so there's no better time than right before Valentine's Day!” said Island Connections Executive Director Carissa Tinker previously. “Winter in Maine can feel isolating and dreary, so it is exciting to hold an event that not only brings some spring colors into the darkness of winter, but also allows our year-round community to come together.”
“The creativity and talent of the bakers really took center stage last year; it truly blew us away. Our hope is that they see the event as a fun community building baking exhibition that happens to have prizes, too, because they really all deserved to win. Last year's bakers poured so much love and creativity into their creations, and we're endlessly grateful for the joy and connection they helped to bring to our community,” Tinker had said.
Sugar, however, isn’t the only thing that played an important role. Island Connections, a nonprofit that “provides free transportation and other services to seniors and people with disabilities from MDI and the surrounding islands” usually focuses on connecting volunteers with people who need rides and services.
But a couple of times a year, Island Connections becomes a connecting moment for community in a much bigger way. One time is during its board meeting, which board member Stephanie Clement describes as a yearly moment where you can truly feel the heart of Island Connections. Another time is at the Sugar Showdown, which is only in its second year, but pulled in more than 300 people to the Atlantic Oceanside on February 8 to celebrate sugar, community, the organization, and each other.
Founded in 1997, Island Connections transports seniors and people with disabilities. It also provides grocery shopping and other services as well as delivers Meals on Wheels. Each year, it coordinates over 5,500 rides. Volunteers give those rides. Neighbors help neighbors. And donors help keep it going by funding the vital service.
The demand is there. And it’s growing. But the nonprofit needs volunteers to meet that increasing need. The Sugar Showdown helps bring in money and also raise awareness of the organization, too.
"We are so grateful for all of the time and effort that the bakers put into this event. We couldn't have a Sugar Showdown without them, and it's just such a fun way to bring the community together. We love this event because we get to use all of the spring colors during a time of year that is normally dark and dreary—bringing joy to our year round community brings us joy in return,” Tinker said Monday.
HOW IT WORKED
People purchased tickets to taste the treats. They received ten voting tokens to distribute among their favorite entries. Those tokens said LOVE. Each baker had a voting box by their entry where people could place tokens. Public voting ended at 5 p.m. All of the cakes in the showstopper category were raffled! To-go boxes were available after 5 p.m. (once that voting stopped).
The event space and charcuterie were donated by Atlantic Oceanside. The first place prizes were donated by Window Panes and My Darling Maine Island Boutique and the second place prizes were homemade oven mitts donated by The Flowered Apron. Tinker was grateful for that support and kindness as well. Chris Popper emceed the event. Bar Harbor Savings & Loan was the event’s main sponsor.
Bakers competed in three categories. The winners are included below.
Sweet Surprise:
1st: Abby Kimball - Jordan Pond House bars
2nd: JoAnne Wood and Stella Byer - Pumpkin cream cheese whoopie pies
3rd: Crystal Roberts - Red velvet truffles
Blueberry Bliss:
1st: Michelle Brzezowski - Lemon tartlets
2nd: Letty Axtell - Blueberry raspberry pavlova
3rd: Blissful Bites / Jessica Edmonson - Blueberry peach Pop-tart
Showstopper:
1st: Crystal Roberts - Chocolate layered cake
2nd: Emily Homer - "Siren song"
3rd: Mary de Koning - "Cool and spice and everything ice"
Most Dazzling Cake:
Carol Schaefer - "Island Connections Summer Confections" (the hamburger and sundae)
Community Choice Award:
JoAnne Wood and Stella Byer - Pumpkin cream cheese whoopie pies
WASHBOARD REBELLION
One of the highlights of the event was Washboard Rebellion, a local band of rebels that’s recently been rocking Open Table and the Community School.
The band bills itself as “a rebellious New England trad band, layin’ down fancy American folk, bluegrass, Celtic and country fiddle tunes. We play fiddle, washboard, uke, bass, guitar and keyboard.”
The group took the stage and kept the spirit lively throughout the event.
MORE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT
Photos: Shaun Farrar/Carrie Jones/Bar Harbor Story
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
Washboard Rebellion’s Facebook page and to watch a clip.
This article was updated to include that Bar Harbor Savings and Loan presented the event.
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