PERRY, Ga. — Cory Jones was raised in Unadilla, a town 13 miles south of Perry, Georgia. He said while growing up, it was tradition to visit the Georgia National Fair.
"As a child with my grandfather, we would go every day so the fair has been - is still - a big part of not only my life but the lives of everyone in Central Georgia," Jones said.
The fair is known for family-fun, southern cuisine and an iconic focal point.
"There's a lot of structures on the fairgrounds, but everyone knows the fairgrounds for the clock tower," Jones said.
He said after a meeting with Perry's Main Street Promotions Committee, he cooked up a fun idea to honor the fair's milestone anniversary. Jones is preparing a 6-foot tall cookie replica of the tower, but says people won't be able to take a bite out the treat.
The foundation is made from construction-grade gingerbread. He said it takes about a week to make.
"A lot of people are gonna ask, 'Is it all edible?' But it will not be something that you can eat," Jones said.
Jones is last season's winner of the Food Network baking competition Holiday Wars. He said while he can't bring back friendships made during the show, he said he feels more than ready for people to see the cookie structure come to life.
"What you can bring back is working under pressure, working during a specified time limit, being able to pivot and still get a final product," he said. "Having the audience I think will be fun, it'll make it more fun than just doing it."
Jones is using large 1-foot cookies to form the outside of the tower, and says it will do the trick to finish an art piece sweet enough to celebrate 35 years.
"I think it's magical to see someone that can take cookies and turn it into something that's an art piece like this," he said.
As part of the fair's artist in residence program, Jones put the finishing touches on the cookie tower on the first night, kicking off the start to the fair with a live presentation. The cookie tower replica will be on display during the entirety of the fair; it's located at Miller Murphy Howard building.