Oberlin Edible Book Festival

2025 Oberlin Edible Book Festival

On April 1, 2025, Oberlin Public Library and Oberlin College Libraries held the second annual Oberlin Edible Book Festival in Root Room of the Carnegie Building on the Oberlin College campus. Attendees viewed and sampled the submissions, and judges announced awards for various categories, including the Directors’ Choice Award to Colby and Lua Schmidt for Miss Cecily’s Recipes for Exceptional Ladies.

2025 Edible Book Festival Submissions:

Photo of submission titled, "The Bun Also Rises" featuring a dessert casserole with pecans
The Bun Also Rises
Photo of submission titled, "Waitress" featuring small dishes of food featured in the book by Sara Bareilles
Waitress
Photo of submission titled, "Nog Man" featuring a glass of egg nog with a stick figure drawn on the glass
Nog Man
Photo of submission titled, "Ketchup on the Fry" featuring a packet of McDonald's ketchup on top of a single French fry
Ketchup on the Fry
Photo of submission titled, "Evil Eye" featuring a cake in the shape of the letter "I" and two Twizzler candies representing devil horns
Evil Eye
Photo of submission titled, "Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior" featuring a cake with a map of Eohune, Aetheria Server in chocolate icing
Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior
Photo of submission titled, "Canterbury, er, Cadbury Tales, er, Tails" featuring a two dishes of small egg shaped candies and a larger dish with Cadbury Eggs and Cowtales candies.
Canterbury, er, Cadbury Tales, er Tails
Photo of submission with a cake featuring a toy garbage truck on top with a card reading "Press Here (Gently)" in front of the book "Grandma Drove the Garbage Truck" by Katie Clark
Grandma Drove the Garbage Truck
Photo of submission titled, "The Heart of Dark Chocolateness" featuring a heart-shaped chocolate cake with chocolate icing
The Heart of Dark Chocolateness
Photo of submission titled, "House of the Seven Bagels" featuring seven bagels arranged in an archway
House of the Seven Bagels
Photo of submission titled, "Twilight, This is the skin of a killer" featuring a pitcher of juice and a bottle of gold CandiFetti
Twilight. “This is the skin of a killer.”
Photo of submission titled, "Lord of the Rings" featuring a red dessert casserole with the title spelled out in white chocolate drops
Lord of the Rings
Photo of submission titled, "Dracula" featuring a coffin shaped black cake with bat-shaped cookies surrounding it
Dracula
Photo of submission titled, "Book Club Sandwich" featuring a plate with a sandwich that includes bacon, and a side of potato chips
Book Club Sandwich
Photo of submission titled, "Miss Cecily's Recipes for Exceptional Ladies" featuring 8 iced cookies with decorations and the title of the book, and a copy of the book next to it
Miss Cecily’s Recipes for Exceptional Ladies
Photo of submission titled, "The Invisible Cake" featuring a red cake with the title of the book on it and wrapped in plastic wrap
The Invisible Cake
Photo of submission titled, "Bread and Jam for Frances" featuring several food items contained in the book along with cutout images from the book
Bread and Jam for Frances
Photo of submission titled, "Dracula" featuring a desserts in the shape of coffins made of graham crackers and filled with cream and chocolate cookie crumbles resembling dirt, and a sheet of rock candy, shattered, with red splotches
Dracula
Photo of submission titled, "Oliv(e)ia Oil Cake" featuring a cake in the shape of a smiling pig face
Oliv(e)ia Oil Cake
Photo of submission titled, "Fifty Shades of Earl Grey" featuring small cups of earl grey ice cream and earl gray tea
Fifty Shades of Earl Grey
Photo of submission titled, "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" featuring a dish of meatballs with a cloud made of cotton candy suspended above it in a wire and a small jar of marinara sauce to the side
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Photos from the Event:

Group shot of Edible Book Festival Attendees
Group shot of Edible Book Festival Attendees
Group shot of Edible Book Festival Attendees
Group shot of Edible Book Festival Attendees
Group shot of Edible Book Festival Attendees
Group shot of Edible Book Festival Attendees
Group shot of Edible Book Festival Attendees
Group shot of Edible Book Festival Attendees
Group shot of Edible Book Festival Attendees
Group shot of Edible Book Festival Attendees
3 Judges discuss Edible Book submissions
3 Judges discuss Edible Book submissions
Directors of Oberlin Public Library and Oberlin College Libraries address the attendees
3 Judges announce Edible Book winners
Attendees view the Edible Book Festival submissions
Attendees view the Edible Book Festival submissions
Attendees view the Edible Book Festival submissions
Attendees view the Edible Book Festival submissions
Two female attendees pose with their plates of samples
Attendee smiles at the camera with her plate of samples
Group shot of organizers of the 2025 Edible Book Festival

2025 Judges:

Eboni Johnson (OC ’97), STEM Librarian and President of Oberlin City Council; Victor Melfi, Tech CSO, Friend of the Oberlin College Libraries Board Member, and Oberlin parent; Jim Barnhart, Chef at 1833.