Orlando Serrano of Roeser’s Bakery, Chicago, will compete in his hometown for the national cake decorating championship title next spring. He won Chicago Area Retail Bakers Association’s (CARBA’s) cake decorating competition last month and moves on to the national competition at RBA’s Marketplace, April 16-18, in Chicago.

He and other winning cake decorators from regional competitions around the country will vie for RBA’s Creative Decorating Competition title. For the first time, RBA’s competition will be open for public viewing to promote the bakery trade and its talented cake decorators. As the RBA Marketplace 2005 host affiliate association, CARBA has experience with the open format.

This year’s CARBA competition, held on a Sunday afternoon at Chicago’s Navy Pier, drew crowds of families who also were visiting the popular tourist destination for a Halloween event. Along with the competing cake decorators representing 11 area bakeries, more than a dozen other bakeries set up table-top displays promoting their bakeries’ products and services.

For more information about RBA’s Marketplace 2005, call 800/638-0924 or visit www.rbanet.com/events/marketplace2005.html.