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Rules and How the Night Works

Monday, December 21, 2026 · Canyon Club Brewery Danville, 206 Sycamore Valley Rd, Danville, CA 94526

YOU BRING

25 homemade cookies from one recipe. That's 24 to swap and 1 for the judges.
 

YOU LEAVE WITH
28 cookies in a collector's box you keep. That's your 24 picks plus 4 bonus cookies from us.
 

THE SWAP ZONE

The main dining room. Opens at 6:45 PM, with entry in ticket number order. Ticket holders only.

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YOUR GUESTS

Friends and family are welcome! The front porch is open for guests, plus a limited number of seats in the event dining room.

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THE BAR

Open all night for everyone, with beer, wine and cocktails. Your ticket includes a drink token. Extra drinks are for purchase.

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TICKET INCLUDES

The box, 28 cookies, a drink token and the whole party.
 

BEFORE YOU BAKE

Register your cookie and fill out your ingredient card online. Register here.
 

THE ONE FIRM RULE

No cookies, no entry. Only ticket holders enter the Swap Zone.

Bring Your Crew

Bring your people! The swap happens in the main dining room, and only ticket holders can enter the Swap Zone.

Friends, family and partners are welcome to come along. The front porch is open for guests, with tables, fire pits and an outdoor TV. A limited number of seats are also available in the event dining room. The bar is open all night for everyone, with beer, wine and cocktails. Canyon Club also serves a limited food menu, so your crew can make a night of it.

Before You Leave the House

  • Your cookie is registered and your ingredient card is filled out online.

  • You have 25 cookies, counted twice. The judges need their tasting cookie!

  • Your cookies are decorated, assembled and ready for display.

  • Allergens are clearly flagged on your card.

  • Your platter is labeled on the bottom. A cardboard tray or clean pizza box works too.

  • Your ticket is ready on your phone or printed.

  • You're wearing your most festive outfit or ugly sweater. Bring your holiday cheer!

How the Night Goes

4:00 PM

Canyon Club opens for regular business. Our team builds the Swap Zone in the main dining room. Check in isn't open yet.
 

6:00 PM
Cookie check in opens.
 

6:00 TO 6:40 PM

Cash in your drink token and find your people. Decorate your box, grab a snack or a cookie sample. The judges make their rounds.

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6:40 PM

Welcome and kickoff. A quick rules recap and how voting and the mingling ballot work.

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6:45 TO 7:30 PM

The Swap Zone opens. We call Swappers in ticket order, spaced out so nobody feels rushed. Your trip takes about 15 minutes.

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7:30 PM SHARP

Awards. Close your box and be in the room.
 

7:45 TO 9:00 PM

Canyon Club stays open with drinks and food. Compare boxes, meet the bakers and trade recipes.
 

9:00 PM

Good night! Collect your platter on the way out.

Your guests are welcome on the front porch all evening. The bar is open all night.

How Check-In Works

Bring your cookies to the check-in table. One of Santa's Helpers counts your 25 and takes your ingredient card.

You'll get your collector's box, stocked with gloves, a marker and your voting ticket for Best in Show. You'll also get your drink token and entrance number. Your entrance number doubles as your mingling ballot.

Inside the Swap Zone

  • First loop: look only. Walk the whole table before you choose anything.

  • Second loop: pick your 24. Use the gloves in your box, and use the marker to map your haul inside the lid.

  • Please save the tasting for later. There's no eating inside the Swap Zone.

  • On your way out, one of Santa's Helpers checks your count and adds your 4 bonus cookies.

  • Only ticket holders enter the Swap Zone. No exceptions.

RULES

Bring 25 cookies from one recipe

That's 24 to swap and 1 for the judges to taste. Every cookie must be homemade. We check at the door and turn away anything that looks store-bought.

If your bake goes sideways, a cookie from a local Danville bakery is welcome. We'd rather you support a neighbor than miss the swap.

One recipe per person, no duplicates

Tell us which cookie you're bringing when you register. That keeps the table from turning into nine kinds of chocolate chip. If two Swappers pick the same classic, we'll ask one of you to give it your own spin.

What counts as a cookie

Filled, flooded, sandwich, fruit, holiday or any flavor you love. All cookies! Cake pops, fudge and candy don't count. Please skip bars too, like lemon bars or brownies.

Size and sturdiness

Aim for about 3 inches across. Your cookie needs to survive a display table and a ride home stacked in a box. The same standard applies to every cookie, including award contenders.

Frosted cookies are not recommended. Soft frosting smears and gets messy in the boxes. Flood cookies and sandwich cookies are fine. Please skip anything served warm or very delicate.

Please arrive with cookies ready for display. There won't be time or space to frost, assemble or decorate on site.

Your ingredient card

Fill it out online when you register. We print it for you, so nobody is handwriting cards at the door.

Every tray gets a standing card with your name, cookie name and full ingredient list. Add your Instagram or ordering info if you have it. Cards always sit in the same spot, at the back center of your tray.
 

Marketing your cookies

Your standing card is your storefront for the night. Cottage and professional bakers may also set out one small 4x6 promo sign beside their tray. That's plenty to point people to your business while keeping the table about the cookies.
 

The Awards

Every cookie on the table is judged. You don't need to sign up. Just bake something you're proud of.

Our judges taste during check-in. They work from a printed color sheet built from the photo we take at intake. Your voting ticket counts toward Best in Show, so cast it before awards begin.

BEST IN SHOW

The cookie that nails flavor, presentation and creativity.
 

MOST DECORATIVE
The most creatively decorated or artistic cookie.
 

MOST ORIGINAL

An unexpected flavor, style or ingredient list.

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BEST COOKIE NAME

The quirkiest, most creative name on the table.

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BEST BACKSTORY

A cookie with a special meaning or a fun story behind it. We want to hear it!

Meet the Bakers

Coming solo? Here's an easy way to start a conversation. Your entrance number doubles as a mingling ballot. Find three cookies you love and write each baker's name next to them. Drop your ballot in the box by the bar for a small drawing at the end of the night. If a baker is open to sharing, ask for the recipe. It's the best compliment you can give.
 

Good to Know

  • Ugly sweaters, holiday outfits, festive hats and headbands are all welcome. There might even be a prize for the most creatively decorated human.

  • Children are welcome with their own ticket and their own 25 cookies. Kids without a ticket stay outside the Swap Zone with an adult. If unsupervised, we will give them unlimited hot chocolate, coffee and a Christmas puppy.

  • Guests without tickets are welcome on the front porch and in the limited seating in the event dining room. The Swap Zone in the main dining room is for ticket holders only.

  • The bar is open all night. Your drink token covers one drink, alcoholic or not. Extra drinks are for purchase.

  • If you have food allergies, please enjoy at your own risk. Home kitchens use eggs, butter, milk and nuts. Every cookie will have an ingredient card, so always check before you eat.

  • Know a local business that might donate a prize? We're building our December prize table and would love to hear from you.


Still have questions? You can text us at 925-272-9415 or use our Contact Us form.

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