December 16-17, 2023 Fruit Cake Festival, Independence , California

Judy's camper parked next to ours at the campground. Judy and I went on a nice walk above the campground this afternoon, Beautiful sunny in the low 60's day. 

Sunset with Judy heading into the Fruit Cake Festival with her costume. The theme this year is French Revolution--Let them eat Fruit Cake. This is the Marie Antoinette corner of the hall. 

The giant fruitcake on the ceiling, the guillotine with a severed head on it and in the lower right corner is the archival fruitcake. Judy, John, and I in our costumes. Judy is the fork to eat the fruit cake with, John is a sponge fruit cake and I am a cake knife. I am also wearing a fork crown.

Our costumes again. Judy and Mary in costume. John and Amy in costume in front of the the Bastille and a guillotine costume. 

The bar is serving eggnog, plain or leaded. The admission  fee for the festival  is either a fruit cake or eggnog. The fruit cakes. There were at least 30 fruit cakes. 

Mike built the guillotine and was the executioner, he is holding the severed head. Later he chopped the sacrificial fruitcakes in it. The Marie Antoinette's in the Marie room.

Nancy and the Fruit cake judges awarding the fruit cake prizes. Mike the county manager singing with the band.

Judy made the Bastille to display our fruit cake in. I made it with our mother's recipe, so there is a photo of her with it. A mallow flower we saw on our walk, my fruit cake crown and some of the creative fruit cakes.

Nancy and Don presenting the archival fruit cake. It is from one of the early festivals. It is kept in a biohazard container. Each year it is opened up and someone tastes it. Then it is packed with powdered sugar and brandy and kept for the next year. Mary and Don behind the bar near the end . It was another successful festival. The hall was packed. The costumes were fabulous and the fruit cakes were very imaginatively displayed.

Last night I left my phone on top of the car and on the highway it took a dive off and exploded. John found it this morning in the median. I spent most of the day trying to buy a new one. It is on the way.  If you need to reach me call John for the next week. Sunset on the evening walk Judy and I took.