Gingerbread House Competition

When we lived in Florida, we watched on TV the Grove Park Inn gingerbread house contest which takes place each year at the inn of the same name in Asheville, North Carolina. It brings in fantastic artists from all over the country. But the one year when I tried to see it ourselves, it was not open to the public. When I searched Google this year, I found the competition was over [perhaps the part that was not public] but the buildings could be found throughout the inn. We live in Ohio now. Perhaps we will visit yet, but not this year.

Nonetheless, we were pleased to see a much less fancy version at the Franklin Park Botanical Gardens and Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio. This was their 16th annual gingerbread competition, and contestants were challenged to present a design that represents their favorite era. All competitors were amateurs divided into Adult, Junior and Family divisions.

We once went to the Oklahoma Sugar Arts Competition where professionals entered decorated cakes of amazing complexity. You can read my post about that visit here. 

 

Detail from wedding cake at Sugar Arts Competition, Tulsa, OK 2008

The Columbus contest was not nearly as big or as professional, but it was interesting to see both the imagination in the entries and the skill with which they were presented.

Click on photos to enlarge.

 

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