Gingerbread House Parade!

Grove Park Inn
Asheville, North Carolina

Ok, I'm diverting just a bit from the schedule this week, because there's just so much going on during the holidays! I'm gonna try my best to stick to it, but I wanted to post some pictures from a recent trip first.

I went up to the mountains over the Thanksgiving holiday to relax for a bit with my boyfriend (ooooooh, wink-wink, giggle-giggle) after all the family dinners were finished. He's very handsome, but no pictures of that. What I wanted to show you, were some pictures of the AMAZING gingerbread houses we saw at the Grove Park Inn, in Asheville, North Carolina. This is an annual competiton that they hold there, and is well worth the visit if you're in the area.

Green Gables in Gingerbread, perhaps...

The Inn itself is full of history. Opening in the summer of 1913, it has seen it's fair share of famous names come through it's doors. From Thomas Edison to William Shatner, F. Scott Fitzgerald to Barack Obama, The Grove Park Inn has been home to over a century of hospitality and history. Now, we didn't stay here, but it is definitely a great spot. Four-star restaurants and a world-renowned spa are also a part of the Inn.

Enough about the Inn...you'd think I was trying to get some commission or something. Back to the gingerbread houses!

Grand Prize Winner
Gingerbread Nesting Dolls

I was totally amazed at the level of craftsmanship on some of these. I'm not exactly sure what the requirements are, but I believe they were all completely built from gingerbread, candy, etc. No cardboard, etc.

Teen Division Ribbon Winner
Gingerbread Church 

There were probably at least a hundred on display. I have no idea how many more had been entered in the competition. There were three divisions, Child, Teen and Adult. I think I would definitely have had to enter mine in the child division...and it would have lost easily.

The Grand Prize Winner had created a kind of homage to Russian Nesting Dolls, but themed around Christmas and made of Gingerbread. I have to admit though, while they were amazing, I thought some of the others should have won...I dunno, I guess maybe I wanted the Grand Prize Winner to actually be a house.

Adult Division Globe Theatre
Gingerbread House

Teen Division Globe Theatre
Gingerbread House

My favorites were the two Globe Theatres, one in the Teen Division and one in the Adult Division. I loved that the teen entry had a performance of Midsummer's Night Dream happening onstage. I knew immediately when I looked inside and saw the ass's head on Bottom's body.

It was great fun to tour around the Inn and see all these wonderful creations. It was definitely a great way to start getting into the holiday spirit. If you're ever in Asheville between Thanksgiving and New Years, definitely stop by the Grove Park Inn and see all the winners.

So now, everyone go home and make your own Globe Theatre.......yeah right. :)