What: Jell-O Mold Design Competition
When: Saturday, June 20th 6-1o p.m.
Where: Gowanus Studio Space, Brooklyn
Why: Who would have thought that Jell-O would be a pre-millennium icon worthy of a comeback? Roommates and Jell-O Mold co-organizers, Nadia Siddiqui and Michelle Zatta, were tired of seeing one of America’s most playful desserts relegated to the ends of buffet tables. They decided to elevate the economical dessert to a higher state of play after Gowanus Studio Space member Sara Martin found a Jell-O cookbook full of recipes.
“I like experimenting and building and thought this was a good combination of design and art,” said Siddiqui, the event’s co-organizer and competition director. There will be 25 competing contestants—some as individuals, three-person teams, or as part of a design collective. Once the contestants set up shop this Saturday evening, they welcome tourists and locals to come out and support their designs, and have a Jell-O shot or two.
Labor-intensive Jell-O reminds Zatta of her own mother’s attempt at Jell-O design. “Every 4th of July she’d use seven boxes of Jell-O and add sour cream as a layer. It turned out to have a transparent and opaque quality that is really amazing. I wanted to move away from childhood nostalgic Jell-O and look at it as a food and a medium,” who is also the event’s design developer.
Therefore, contestants will aim to please not just the palate but also the eyes of a panel of five judges from a variety of disciplines—conceptual designers Jason Miller and Tobias Wong, Jennifer Appel of Buttercup Bake Shop, and Thu Tran of Food Party. Each freestanding mold will be evaluated based upon creativity, aesthetics, edibility, and sculptural integrity. The hard work of the winner and runner-up will garner cash prizes and the Jell-O Design Mold title.
Although the pair couldn’t tell us what kind of molds to expect, they did let us in on one contestant’s request: a power chord. One thing is sure, new ground and molds will be set Saturday night. For the contestant’s sake, we hope it wiggles all around.
Cost: Free
How to get there: Take the F train to 4th avenue. Exit near 9th and 4th avenue. Head North on 4th towards 8th street. Make a left on 8th street. (Gowanus Stuido Space, 119 8th Street, gowanusstudio.org)
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram