Tucked in a parking lot off Broadway, over 80 local bakers showed off their goods.

Rebel Bread hosted its second Denver Bake Fest on Saturday outside of the bakery on 675 South Broadway. The now-annual event included a plethora of local bakers presenting their best food — from brownies and cookies to whole grain and sourdough.

Along with delectable taste testing, attendees could also see cooking demonstrations, take bakery tours and visit other sponsors, with proceeds going to the CHOW (Culinary Hospitality Outreach Wellness) nonprofit.

Ultimately, a panel of judges chose winners for multiple awards, including best professional baker and best of show — but the real heart and soul of the festival is highlighting both professional and home bakers, according to owner and CEO of Rebel Bread, Zach Martinucci.

“The idea was bringing the baking community together,” Martinucci said. “Professionals don’t always get a chance to get outside of their kitchen to meet one another and home bakers often don’t have a venue to show off what they’ve been working on.”

The amalgamation of different backgrounds and styles, combined in a mixing bowl disguised as a parking lot, is what made the event stand out, according to a collection of bakers.

“The competition is fun and all, but it’s really about meeting fellow bakers,” Jeff Nixon, owner of Spruce House Bread, said. “I’m really here to connect with other people that enjoy this stuff.”

Nixon, now a full-time baker, is still a rookie, starting his baking journey in 2020 while bored during the COVID lockdown. Prior to that, he had never delved into the art.

“It was never meant to be a business or anything like that,” Nixon said.

At the time, Nixon began giving his bread to his friends, but as appreciation grew, so did his clientele, eventually leading to over 500 people on his email list.

But despite only being in the game for four years, Nixon’s bread is fully baked.

During the Denver Bake Fest’s first year, Nixon won best bread. This year, Nixon won best professional entry and best in show for his roasted Pueblo chili and cheddar sourdough baguette.

“For a long time I didn’t know if I was really good. Your mom and your sister tell you you’re making something good and it’s like, ‘OK,'” Nixon laughed. “But when you have complete strangers telling you, it’s like, ‘Maybe I should be making this.'”

Hobby bakers also showed off their skills.

“I’m a home baker mostly on holidays. You’re obligated to bake on the holidays if you’re from Ohio,” Amy Kenreich said of her midwestern upbringing in which she learned the skills of the trade from her mother and grandmother.

On Saturday, Kenreich showed off her grandmother’s hot bread recipe, sprinkled with buttery cinnamon crumbles.

The occasional baker has entered the competition both years just because she lives down the street and likes community, but that doesn’t mean her bread didn’t stack up against the rest.

“This festival is like the best part of a farmer’s market,” she said. “When you’re from the Midwest and you want to make someone feel good, you bake them something or make them some food. That’s your way of showing love. Here, at this festival, when someone comes up and wants to try your food, it makes you happy. It’s a warm and fuzzy feeling.”

But adults with long histories of family recipes or professional outings weren’t the only bakers in attendance — there was a best child baker award, too.

“I’ve probably been baking for like four or five years,” 8-year-old Lyla Hubner said in front of her Super Duper Carrot Cookies. “My mom has always been a pastry chef, so I got into it… It’s pretty darn fun.”

Hubner won the people’s choice award last year and the best kids cookie this year.

The countless attendees seemed to agree, with almost all of Hubner’s cookies selling out.

“Denver is a really supportive place for small business,” Martinucci said. “The community is really interested in coming out and showing up and really engaging with small businesses. It’s incredible.”