06/11/2026
Sandy Kids' Baking Contest: Filled with Rich History, Transitioned for More Fun
By Abby Haney
During Sandy’s Mt. Festival, the smell of sweet treats drifts through the air from various vendors. Ten years ago, the smell and tasting of treats were available from various kids and one kid's treat earned a prize. The Sandy Chamber of Commerce (SACC) bake off event during the festival was a growing tradition that ended in 2018. This year, the same experience returned but with the Sandy Historical Society Museum.
While they focus on businesses, supporting the town is equally important. Before the kids’ baking contest, the Sandy Chamber hosted a talent show during the Sandy Mountain Festival. SACC hosts Sandy Music Fair & Feast during the festival as their largest fundraising event. During the Saturday family events, kids could partake in the talent show.
“We started out doing this talent show on Saturdays but it was really hard to get enough people to come in,” Jones said. The last talent show was held in 2016.
After SACC stopped the talent show, Jones brought up the idea of a bake off for kids and chilli cook off for adults. SACC didn’t plan to abandon the event but reconstructed it into a different format.
The bake was from 2017 to 2019 but over that time, the participant number rose. It started with less than 10 and ended with 40 participants. Originally, it started out as one whole event but due to the high numbers, it split into two separate age groups (juniors age 5-11 and teens 12-17).
“We got to the point where it was too big and it would take over the entire Saturday and we didn’t have seating,” Jones said. “It just outgrew itself.” The chilli cook off on the other hand never gained as much traction as the bake off.
The bake off ended a couple years prior to 2020 due its size. SACC couldn’t keep up with the demand and lacked time in the day to continue the event.
While the bake off ended with SACC, the museum revived history by bringing it back on May 30. Kids brought in their baked treats and one overall winner was determined, Ryden Warren who made mini cakes. Along with cakes, contestants made a variety of cookies, donut holes, shortbreads, blondies, muffins and more. People had the opportunity to vote for their favorite, resulting in Lily Schultz winning the People Choice Award. Winners received gift certificates to local shops including Scoop ‘n Swirl, Once Upon A Tome, 7-Eleven and Subway.
The museum invited three Avamere and one Todos Juntos members to judge. One Avamere resident gave a speech about his involvement in baking.
“I started cooking when I was 20. Back then, men were not involved in cooking. It wasn’t the thing men did,” he said. “I didn’t let that stop me.”
Having history with baking was a common drive for judges in choosing to participate in the contest.
“I wanted to judge the baking contest because I love baking (and eating) desserts, and I wanted to see what the kids could come up with! They all did so amazingly with their desserts and it was such a great time for me to be able to eat everything they made. The only downside was not being able to finish everything they gave me to try and having to throw it away,” Todos Juntos judge Sarah Emery said.
Kids left the contest with smiles and testers left with stomachs full, a positive result for the museum.
Abby Haney was the Editor-In-Chief at Sandy High School for the Pioneer Press and is a writer at large for The Sandy Historical Society and The Sandy Standard
