Gingerbread pieces await children's imaginations to transform them into decorative and delicious houses.

PRAIRIE CITY – Anna Smith’s oven is working overtime this week.

She’s baking gingerbread house walls and roofs – enough for 150 houses.

It’s all in preparation for the children’s gingerbread house-building activity Smith will head up at this year’s Christmas on the Prairie starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Teen Center on Front Street in Prairie City.

This is the third year she has organized the free activity, which has grown each year, from 100 houses in 2013 and 125 last year.

Smith has also learned a few things along the way.

“I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing the first time,” she said.

Unlike past years, when parents needed to sign up in advance, this year participation will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Parents also need to stay with their children while they work on their gingerbread houses.

Smith said she starts buying candy – for the house embellishments – in bulk after Halloween. She and her husband, Tom, spent last weekend organizing and bagging it at Quilts and Beyond in Prairie City, where Smith works.

Then, for several days before to the event, she’s in her home kitchen, preparing and baking all the gingerbread. Smith said she goes through about five batches of dough a day during that time, with each batch making about two houses.

The icing “glue” is made from scratch, too, which she and her husband will whip up the night before at the Teen Center, along with all the other last-minute preparations. They will be there until the late hours getting everything organized and setting up the stations.

Why does she do all this?

It’s all for the kids, she said.

“I just thought the kids in the community needed something to do and get them out and about during Christmas on the Prairie,” Smith said.

She said she enjoys giving back to the community, adding, “I’ll do anything to help when it’s needed.”

The Smiths have lived in Prairie City for 10 years, and 10 years in John Day before that. They have six children between them and two grandchildren. And yes, they both get their own gingerbread houses to build each year, too.

Gingerbread fever has spread through Prairie City this year, Smith said. Businesses in town will have gingerbread houses on display, and children will get to vote on their favorite throughout the day during Christmas on the Prairie. The one receiving the most votes will receive a “children’s favorite” certificate.

The houses will be auctioned off during the tree-lighting ceremony at 4:30 p.m. that evening, across from City Hall. The proceeds will benefit Talents and Treasures of Prairie City, organizers of Christmas on the Prairie.