ASTORIA — The Astoria Winter Festival has expanded to become a holiday community event with a Caroling Competition, Holiday Cookie Bake-off and gift-making for kids as part of its three days of festivities. So warm up your singing voice and dig up your best holiday cookie recipe to win fun prizes and raise money for your favorite local charity.

The festival takes place the last weekend before Christmas, running from 3 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 20 and 21.

The festival is a program of Astoria Sunday Market showcasing up to 40 vendors who make or grow their products and a Beer and Bacon-themed concessions. Wet Dog Café is the featured brewer, and the North Coast Chefs Syndicate is providing the bacon treats.

Home Depot will host a Kids Clinic on Friday for kids who want to make a gift (while supplies last).

The Caroling Competition takes place Saturday, Dec. 20. Teams are invited to have fun and to feel free to share traditional, cultural or crazy renditions of favorite holiday songs. Families and individuals can form caroling teams or groups from businesses, nonprofit organizations, government offices, military, and religious organizations.

“We encourage carolers to begin downtown to spread good cheer to shoppers before coming to the Armory for the competition,” said festival coordinator Cyndi Mudge.

Caroling award categories are: People’s Choice Giving Award given to the top three teams that raise the most money for their chosen charity; Creativity Award to the most creative presentation; and the Scrooge Award to the “OK, so you’re not a great singer or maybe ‘Bah-Humbug’ is your holiday mantra but by-gosh you tried” team.

Astoria Sunday Market has agreed to donate $100, $75 and $50 to a local charity chosen by the top three winners. Charities must be a registered nonprofit. Registrations can be downloaded at www.AstoriaSundayMarket. Registration deadline is Friday, Dec.19.

The Holiday Cookie Bake-off is Sunday, Dec. 21.

“Every family seems to have a cookie favorite they bake for the holidays,” said Mudge. “This is a fun way to share your family tradition.”

Cookie contestants are asked to bring a plate of their best family holiday cookies to the Astoria Armory by 1 p.m. Winners will be announced at 4:30 p.m. and will receive prizes. Judges include Anna Holen, daughter of Chris and Jennifer Holen from Baked Alaska, one of Santa’s Elves and a local cookie expert.

“We hope the Caroling Competition and Holiday Cookie Bake-off become annual traditions here in Astoria as a way to give back to our local charities, share our traditions and spread the joy of the season,” said Mudge.

Astoria Winter Festival

3 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21

Astoria Armory

1636 Exchange St., Astoria