These Incredible Gingerbread Competition Winners Are Straight Out of a Hallmark Movie
The National Gingerbread House Competition may sound like a made-up event from a cozy Hallmark movie, but we can attest that it’s very much so a real thing.
Each and every year since 1992, the Omni Grove Park Inn—a stunning, arts-and-crafts era resort nestled amongst the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Asheville, North Carolina—hosts the National Gingerbread House Competition, in which contestants of all ages are invited to show off their “ginger innovation in baking” for a chance to take home a ribbon and/or cash prize. The main rules? All creations have to be 75 percent gingerbread and 100 percent edible.
"Gingerbread is a truly magical time here at The Omni Grove Park Inn," said Isabel Miller, Senior Marketing and Events Manager. "From the competitors who have been competing for years to those participating for the first time to each visitor who comes from far and wide to experience the gingerbread cheer, the competition has become an iconic holiday tradition for all."
After months and months of brainstorming, baking, and building, competitors shuffled into the Omni Grove Park Inn on Monday, November 20, with their ginger creations in tow.
Speaking of the competitors, they’re categorized by age groups, with children, youth, teen, and adult pools. During the competition, a panel of judges evaluates each gingerbread creation to determine the top 10 in each category, all of whom receive a ribbon. In addition to ribbons, the top three contestants in each group receive cash prizes in varying sums and, in some instances, multi-night stays at the Omni GPI, as well as any Omni property of their choosing.
There are also special prizes, including the People’s Choice: Best in Show and the Chef Nicholas Lodge Awards—in honor of the late pastry chef and master cake artist Chef Nicholas Lodge, who was a longtime judge of the National Gingerbread House Competition. The Chef Nicholas Lodge Awards include Best Use of Sprinkles, Most Unique Ingredient, Longest Standing Competitor, Best Use of Color, Pop Culture Star, and Most Innovative Structure.
This year’s panel of judges included celebrity cake artist and two-time best-selling cookbook author Yolanda Gampp (who is a judge on FOX's Crime Scene Kitchen), culinary applications chef Mark Seaman, pastry chef and teacher Geoff Blount, Omni GPI executive pastry chef John Cook, pastry chef, author, and teacher Steven Stellingwerf, Biltmore Estate executive pastry chef Aaron Morgan, and chef Ashleigh Shanti (who is the owner of Good Hot Fish and a 2020 James Beard finalist).
Suffice to say, with their combined expertise, the panel was ready and willing to sort through the nearly 200 gingerbread entries—which included various Barbie Dreamhouses, the cutest Polly Pocket creation, a number of Disney-inspired displays, and even a couple of Fabergé Egg re-creations—that filled the Grand Ballroom on Monday, November 20.
While some contestants worked alone, others were part of a duo or group. No matter how the gingerbread creations came to be, though, the judges were able to determine the top performers in each category by focusing on six specific criteria: appearance, originality, creativity, difficulty, precision, and consistency of theme.
“Originality and creativity are big ones for me because even when you hear the term ‘gingerbread house,’ a certain image pops into your head,” Yolanda told Country Living leading up to the awards ceremony. “And so I love to see how out of the box people can take things and how do they really make it their own, how do they express themselves.”
Yolanda also values theme and the difficulty of the process. “Theme is a big one—how you tie it in; are there little easter eggs and elements all over the piece?” she reveals. “And then, of course, difficulty because like anything you create, there’s different levels of difficulty and I just have so much respect for anyone taking this on and executing the works of art.”
Without further ado, keep reading to unlock your holiday spirit while uncovering the top five winners of the 31st Annual National Gingerbread House Competition.
Wish you could see even more imaginative pastry creations? You can! The Omni Grove Park Inn keeps all entries on the property. The display officially opens on Monday, November 27, and will be on display through January 2, 2024. All top 10 winners will be displayed throughout the Great Hall and lobby level, while all other entries will be on display throughout lower levels of the resort. As whimsical and fun as the gingerbread houses are, the Omni Grove Park Inn has so much to offer guests this holiday season and beyond. From roaring fireplaces and a life-size gingerbread house serving exquisite hot cocoa to delectable cuisine, stunning greens, unparalleled views of Sunset Mountain, and a subterranean spa that's world-renowned, Omni Grove Park Inn is the perfect getaway for the whole family—including pups! To book a stay, explore options here. And, if you're a diehard gingerbread fan, consider the Gingerbread Holiday Package, which includes deluxe accommodations, a complimentary holiday gingerbread cookie, daily breakfast at the resort's farm-to-table artisanal buffet restaurant, The Blue Ridge, and overnight valet with garage parking.
Can't make it in person? Omni Grove Park Inn will feature “The 12 Days of Gingerbread” on its official Facebook and Instagram channels by featuring one of the Top 12 finalists each day from December 1 to 12, 2023.
Grand Prize Winner, Adult: “Christmas at the Tongkonan”
Team: Difficult Dessert Devotees
Location: Fuquay-Varina, NC
Fun Fact: Difficult Dessert Devotees also won the Chef Nicholas Lodge Award for Most Unique Ingredient. The aunt-and-niece duo used Catgut Dental Sutures and Stevia Leaves in their creation of “Christmas at the Tongkonan,” inspired by traditional homes in Indonesia.
"We were researching some Christmas traditions in Indonesia and came across a really cool Christmas parade with hand-made floats jostling around, jumping around, and it was very exciting, and I did more research on the culture and found this house, and got very excited about the designs on the sides and the architecture and decided it needed to be gingerbread," Faith An told Country Living directly following her win.
Teen (ages 13-17) First Place: “Vintage Voyage”
Team: Courtland High School German Program
Location: Spotsylvania, VA
"We've participated since 2013—we've won eight out of 10 years, so we're very excited to win again, especially after getting second place last year," the German club spokesperson told Country Living following their win. As for the inspiration: It's built with Bavaria in mind. "There's a city in Germany in the state of Bavaria called Straubing, and we have a sister school there," the team told us, noting that their portrayal is directly inspired by the stories they've heard by exchange students from their sister school.
Youth (ages 9-12) First Place: “Fun in the Tub”
Team: Frost Girls
Location: Woodbury, MN
Fun Fact: The Frost Girls are the daughters of the Best in Show winners, husband-and-wife duo, Love at Frost Sight.
Child (ages 5-8) First Place: “The Night of Magical Memories”
Individual: Grace Webster
Location: Greenville, SC
Those little teepees? Tents with sleeping children inside. The photo angle sadly doesn't show the true magic of the precious display.
Best in Show: “Rockin’ at the Diner”
Team: Love at Frost Sight
Location: Woodbury, MN
Fun Fact: Love at Frost Sight also won the Chef Nicholas Lodge Award for Best Use of Color for their vivid creations in "Rockin' at the Diner."
"My inspiration behind the gingerbread house this year was really old, retro billboard signs," Love at Frost Sight told us post-win. "I do a lot of traveling and every time we're on the highway, my eyes gravitate to the billboard signs—the cheesier, the better; that gets my attention. So it just clicked: I need to make some billboard signs. And, of course, you have to have someplace to go to, so I then created the diner. And then, well how are they going to get there? They need cars. So that's how the whole thing came [about]."
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