Take a bite out of the National Gingerbread House Competition

For over two decades, the historic Grove Park Inn has been the home of the National Gingerbread House Competition, one of the state’s most popular holiday events. On display from mid-November to January, the gingerbread competition attracts hundreds of entries and thousands of visitors who visit the historic Asheville resort to admire gingerbread houses of every size, shape, complexity and theme imaginable, including rustic cabins, gumdrop-adorned castles and whimsical settings. For the National Gingerbread House Competition, these confectionary masterpieces must be made entirely of edible materials (except for the base) and are judged based on overall appearance, originality/creativity, difficulty, precision and consistency of theme. The resort offers several holiday packages and activities to celebrate the season. The contest features everything from amateurs to pastry chefs and famous food star judges to celebrate this holiday tradition.