10/21/2026
ROARING RIVER CULTURAL ALLIANCE
Taste of Art
A Sweet Celebration of Creativity, Community & Delicious Desserts!
Calling All Bakers!
The Roaring River Cultural Alliance (RRCA) invites talented bakers, adventurous home cooks, professional pastry chefs, restaurants, and local businesses to participate in our annual meeting and Taste of Art Dessert Cook-Off!
Bring your favorite dessert, share your baking talents, and compete for the honor of being recognized as one of our community’s sweetest stars! Whether your specialty is a family-favorite pie, a decadent chocolate cake, a batch of irresistible cookies, or an imaginative confection, we want to taste what you create.
This special event combines the joy of baking with the power of art to bring our community together while raising funds to support RRCA’s mission of promoting art and art education throughout Jackson County.
Event Details
Date: Saturday, November 14, 2026
Time: 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Location: Chamber of Commerce Temporary Office
100 S Main St., Wasioto Building
Gainesboro, TN
Admission: $10 per adult | $5 per child
Special Donation Offer: For every donation, receive one free ticket!
How the Cook-Off Works
• Bring Your Best: Enter one homemade dessert of your choice. Cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, pastries, and other sweet creations are welcome.
• Let Everyone Sample: Attendees will have the opportunity to sample the competing desserts.
• Cast Your Votes: Each attendee will receive three voting tokens to award to their favorite desserts. Tokens may be distributed among different entries or given to one favorite.
• Win the Sweetest Honor: The baker receiving the most tokens will be crowned the Taste of Art Dessert Cook-Off Champion and receive a special RRCA award handcrafted by local artist Valerie Goetz!
Official Cook-Off Rules
1. Registration: Bakers must register in advance and provide their name, dessert name, and a brief description of their entry by November 1, 2026.
2. Homemade Creations: Desserts must be prepared by the entrant. Both amateur and professional bakers are encouraged to participate.
3. Presentation: Each entry should arrive ready to serve, with enough portions for attendees to sample. Please bring your dessert on a disposable tray or a serving dish you do not need returned.
4. Identification: Each dessert must be clearly labeled with the baker’s name and dessert title.
5. Ingredients and Allergens: Bakers must provide a complete ingredient list and identify common allergens, including nuts, dairy, eggs, wheat, and soy.
6. Food Safety: All entries must be prepared, transported, and presented safely. Perishable desserts must be kept at appropriate temperatures. Bakers are responsible for following applicable food-safety requirements.
7. Judging: Attendees will vote using their three voting tokens. The dessert receiving the most tokens will be declared the winner. In the event of a tie, RRCA event organizers will determine the winner.
8. Event Participation: Bakers agree to allow their desserts to be sampled by event attendees and to support the friendly, community-minded spirit of the competition.
A Sweet Request: Please Donate to Our Bake Sale!
In addition to entering the cook-off, we ask each participating baker to donate an additional baked good for the RRCA bake sale. Cookies, cupcakes, brownies, breads, pies, and other treats are all welcome.
Your donation will help raise additional funds to support RRCA programs, art classes, supplies, and creative opportunities for people of all ages in our community.
Every donation earns one free ticket! Thank you for helping us make this fundraiser a success.
Join Us!
Share your favorite recipes, showcase your creativity, meet fellow baking enthusiasts, and help make art accessible to everyone. Your participation will make this fundraiser sweeter in every way!
To enter the Taste of Art Dessert Cook-Off or arrange your bake-sale donation, please contact the Roaring River Cultural Alliance at [email protected].
Come for the art. Stay for the sweets. Help our community flourish!
