JAM JAM: Pancake Dinner and Homemade Jam Competition – Thursday, June 25 (Fundraiser for OXCM)

Prepare yourself (and your belly) for a delicious, inexpensive family-friendly get-together at The Powerhouse on Thursday, June 25th. JAM JAM is a combination homemade jam competition/pancake dinner.

The idea was borne recently when Oxford City Market (OXCM) Director Betsy Chapman had the idea for a community pancake dinner about the same time Stacey Sanford had the idea for a homemade jam competition. Chapman liked the idea of a reasonably-priced fundraiser so that more people can afford to attend so, she said, “We just decided to merge the two ideas, and then the jams had a place to be: on top of the pancakes for tasting.”

Live entertainment will be provided in alternating sets by popular local group And The Echo, and by DJ Milli Vanilli, who is preparing an exciting setlist of “jam-themed” songs to play at the event.

Contestants can enter as many jams or jellies or preserves or compotes as they want. Contestants who register before the event date (at the Tuesday market or at oxfordcitymarket.com), there will be no entry fee. And jam-makers are welcome to register the day of the competition, but it will cost $5.

Contestants can also sell their spreads at the event, so have your wallet prepared to take home some canned goodies.

And yes, the jams will be judged—by attendees at the dinner (including you, hopefully). Says Chapman, “When you buy a ticket, you’re getting your pancake dinner, entertainment, and the chance to judge the jams. Once you’ve tasted all of them you can vote for your favorite, and the jam that gets the most votes wins.”

The grand prize for the best jam-maker is going to be a month of free booth space at OXCM. And there will be various other prizes, too—we’ll just have to wait until the 25th and be surprised!

There will be raffle prizes as well—gift certificates to local establishments, hand-crafted treats, and other jam-tastic prizes.

The pancake ingredients will be locally-sourced wherever it’s possible—eggs will be purchased from OXCM egg vendors, and the milk used will be from Brown’s Family Dairy (plus, the organizers are going to try to get Brown’s Dairy butter). Everything else they’ll need will be purchased from either the Farmers’ Market store or from Larson’s Cash Saver, so the money spent on the event will stay with locally-owned businesses.

You can purchase advance tickets to this event by visiting the Oxford City Market on Tuesday afternoon) or online by visiting the Brown Paper Tickets (BPT) site. Tickets are $5 per person, or $10 for a family of four. In addition, on the BPT website, you have the option to purchase a mimosa with your single ticket (for only $3 extra) or two mimosas with your family pack (only $6 extra).
And—I think this would be an exceptionally nice gesture if you’re able—when you purchase your family tickets on BPT you can also purchase admission for one of Oxford’s “More Than a Meal” families who might not otherwise be able to afford to attend. (To learn more about More Than a Meal visit: http://mtamoxford.org.)

Tickets for the dinner may also be purchased at the door, with no price mark-up. Chapman says, “You can show up at any time, and we’re going to be serving pancakes until they’re gone.” There will be about six volunteer pancake-makers and three volunteer batter-mixers at the event, so pancakes will be made live and fresh for attendees.

Expect a vast range of jams, jellies, preserves…you name it! Many of the OXCM vendors who make jams and jellies are planning to enter, and we wouldn’t be surprised if there are a few sugar-free options as well.

Summer in Oxford can get a little tedious for us locals. But we can’t think of a better way to spend a Thursday evening than eating delicious homemade pancakes and jam with friends, family, and other members of the community. Who knows?—you might meet a new friend when you sit down to eat your plate!

The event is being sponsored by The YAC Powerhouse and by Gaining Ground. Though OXCM and Gaining Ground aren’t directly related, Chapman points out that they’re “two groups working alongside each other on different but similar endeavors.”