In Search of Gingerbread Houses

The pictures posted aren't likely to remind you of the typical gingerbread house.

They're better!

Each year there is a National Gingerbread House Competition sponsored by The Grove Park Inn located in Asheville, NC. Entries come in from all over the country, and after the judging takes place the top entries are put on display throughout the hotel.

The displays include the top 10 adult entries, the top 10 youth entries and the top 10 children's entries.

I don't have pictures of all the houses that were on display, but wanted to share some from each category.

Children's Category:

Goldilocks and the Three Bears: It's hard to see because of the spotlight, but the three bears are outside approaching the house as Goldilocks naps in the blue bed in the top left.

Fairytale Land: Mattie Loved it because it was a castle!

 

This one is for all the Angry Bird Lovers out there, my son included. Check out the sling shot with the snowman in the front right.

 Youth Category:

I thought I took more pictures for this category, but ended up with only one shot to share. There was a Hobbit/Lord of the Rings related one that I swear I took a picture of, but when I went back through all my photos I couldn't find it.

This was my absolute favorite. Looking at the picture it's hard to tell the intricate detail of this swim meet gingerbread house. Those lines across the bottom meant to be ropes are all made out of smarties. In between each line is the image of a swimmer. The top is adorned with bell-shaped jelly beans. The picture doesn't do a good enough job showing how AWESOME this design is.

Adult Category:

Some serious detail and craftsmanship went into all of these.

The winning entry was on display behind a glass case. It was a rotating chess board with players on each side labeled as Pawn Stars. It was something else.

Your favorite Christmas Rhyme, "The Night Before Christmas" made into a gingerbread house! After seeing this one Jack wanted to know if "The Nightmare Before Christmas" was going to be a gingerbread house on display.

Meant to resemble a horse race, this reindeer race made the kids laugh.

On the left is St. Basil's Cathedral. To the right is the pound. Reindeer pound that is.

One very interesting rule is that except for the base of the structure, everything must be constructed of edible materials.