At Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center, a prefab house could’ve been yours for $5 Saturday, located in a festive neighborhood and featuring well-manicured gumdrop hedges and pretzel trees.

The third annual Gingerbread Homes for the Arts Festival concluded with Community Day at SKyPAC.

Visitors could buy a gingerbread house kit and make their own homes.

Two rooms at SKyPAC held enough gingerbread, icing, sprinkles, marshmallows and candy to activate anyone’s sweet tooth, but they were strictly for decorative purposes, meant to add flourish to the gingerbread house.

“This is a really creative event for the kids to enjoy,” said Kelly Robertson of Bowling Green.

Robertson and her daughters, Morgan and Molly, came to the festival at the recommendation of a neighbor and were getting to work on a gingerbread house, using the white icing to create a wintry scene.

The house construction also aided in the building of a holiday spirit in mid-November.

“We were talking about how it seemed so early, but it’s exciting for the kids,” Roberson said. “They’ll be ready to get a Christmas tree now.”

The festival serves as fundraiser for SKyPAC’s arts education and outreach programs.

A week of events, including an Eat, Drink and Be Artsy raffle and auction Tuesday and a Spice Up the Night chef competition and dinner Friday, culminated with a day of holiday-themed entertainment in the SKyPAC lobby from a series of performers that included Red River Fiddlers and Christ Episcopal Church Choir.

Children could have pictures taken with Santa Claus or have their likeness drawn by caricature artist David Arnold. Balloon artist Nick Wilkins and mime artist Mr. Tay also provided entertainment.

“We’re really happy about the turnout,” festival co-chair Betty McGuire said Saturday afternoon. “We raised $42,000 last year and this year we hope to surpass that.”

For all the entertainment options, the gingerbread houses took center stage, particularly the ones submitted for the Gingerbread Homes for the Arts contest.

Dozens of houses were arrayed on a few rows of tables in the lobby.

Some homes depicted local landmarks such as Jackson’s Orchard and the Capitol Arts Center, while a gingerbread rendition of the Empire State Building towered over the others.

Winning entries in the youth, amateur and professional categories were on display with the ribbons denoting their award.

Joshua Meredith, of Louisville, won second place in the amateur division for his creation, a gingerbread beach house that featured a key ring, sunglasses and even some books, all made of edible material.

Meredith’s house won the Best Original Concept award.

“This took close to 10 pounds of flour for the gingerbread, about 4 1/2 pounds of sugar and a lot of hours,” Meredith said.

Meredith has submitted gingerbread houses to contests in Louisville in past years, but this was his first entry for Bowling Green’s festival.

“I enjoy the challenge of trying to make something interesting and seeing what different materials you can use to make something look like a real piece of furniture,” Meredith said.