In a sweet celebration of community and holiday tradition, bakers from across the United States and beyond came together in Washington County, Pennsylvania, where a whopping 83,427 cookies were baked in a bid to set a world record for the largest Christmas cookie exchange ever. The festive event — held at the Washington County Fairgrounds and organised by the Wedding Cookie Table Community Facebook group — transformed the venue into cookie heaven for enthusiastic bakers and visitors.
Nearly 600 bakers participated, forming 67 teams from 14 U.S. states and New Zealand, each contributing trays of Christmas‑themed cookies ranging from snowball delights to reindeer shapes and Santa classics. Hundreds of tables showcased the sweet creations, and in the end 73,835 cookies were actually exchanged among attendees during the festive gathering.
Event organiser Laura Magone founded the Wedding Cookie Table Community a decade ago to celebrate and preserve the cherished cookie table tradition rooted in Western Pennsylvania — where generations of families share baking recipes and memories during weddings and holidays. This year’s exchange was designed both to honour that legacy and to launch an official world record entry.
Participants and spectators enjoyed the holiday atmosphere, complete with decorated tables, cookie voting, and even appearances from Santa Claus. Many teams baked together for months in advance, using video calls and recipe sharing to coordinate the massive baking effort. Leftover cookies were donated to local nursing homes, charities and community organisations—a charitable end to a delicious event. Organisers plan to submit evidence from the event to record‑keeping bodies in hopes of creating a new record category for the largest Christmas cookie exchange. Whether it secures official world‑record status or inspires future challenges, the sweet event has already brought holiday cheer to thousands.
