The Grove Park Inn holds its 18th annual National Gingerbread Competition & Display through Jan. 2. This year’s showcase features about 250 artistic culinary creations submitted by imaginative contestants from throughout the country. The exhibition is free and open to the public Mondays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. It’s only open to resort guests and those with on-site restaurant reservations during the weekends.
About 20 of the houses are also on display at the Grove Park Inn’s store in the Grove Arcade in downtown Asheville. And the hotel offers gingerbread baking workshops by reservation for those wanting to learn more about the craft.
Here’s a slide show of some of this year’s enchanting edible sculptures:
Photos by Jerry Nelson
This year’s grand prize winner was Heather Lewis, who was awarded $3,000 and a two-night stay at the Inn for her delicately sculpted gingerbread Russian Stacking dolls. Here’s a short YouTube video of her showing off her winning creations:
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