For a real treat, see the amazing display of gingerbread houses at Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa in Asheville on November 18, 2009-January 3, 2010 on Mondays-Thursdays, 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.. Viewing of the entries to the National Gingerbread House Competition is free for non-guests of the hotel! Your only cost is $10 for valet parking (which is highly recommended). In addition to the gingerbread overload, see the beautiful holiday displays throughout and warm by the giant fireplaces in the grand lobby. If you are staying overnight or dining in one of Grove Parks restaurants, you may view gingerbread houses at anytime. Pick up a map in the lobby to find the various areas where entries are displayed.

This year, you can also see some of the entries in the Grove Arcade in downtown Asheville.

New for 2009 is "Stories of Gingerbread" Guided Tours: Go behind the scenes and to the front of the lines with our newest addition to the world of gingerbread! Guides will share stories about the artists and their houses, details about the construction of unusual entries, and a behind-the-scenes look at the workings of the judging, competition and display itself. These specialty tours are available Monday-Saturday throughout the display period. $10 Adults; $5 Children (12 & under). For more information or to reserve a tour space, please call 800-438-0050, ext. #4094.

Contestants from across the country will bring their architectural masterpieces to The Grove Park Inn. Delight in the imagination shown in these sugar-and-spice creations, strolling through the competition is a sure way to be swept up in the holiday spirit.

Groups traveling by bus or passenger van must make parking reservations prior to arrival. Please note that these groups must have dining or lodging reservations or will be charged a parking fee. Large vehicle parking reservations are available only by calling 1-800-438-0050, Ext. #1281.

The National Gingerbread House Competition awards ceremony takes place on November 16, 2009 at 5:00 PM and is open to the public at no charge for admission. Following the four hour competition, the resort’s visual design team will be spending the following days placing more than 325 entries in specially crafted holiday scenes.

The grand prize winning entry and selected other winners will be removed from the display during the week of December 18 as the resort transports them to New York City for its 11th straight appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

Special maps will be available for resort guests and visitors so they can see where each of the displays is located throughout the Resort. The youth, teen and adult top ten winners will be located on the lobby levels of the Sammons and Vanderbilt wings.

Curious about entering? Download a PDF of the 2009 Entry Form.

Winners of the 17th Annual National Gingerbread House Competition™ 2009

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (November 16, 2009) – Hundreds of entries from 20 states were scrutinized by a panel of 10 elite judges, with winners in four categories emerging in the 17th Annual National Gingerbread House Competition™ that took place today at The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa in scenic Asheville, N.C.

“This was one of the most exciting and competitive National Gingerbread House Competitions™ to ever take place at The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa. The judges truly had a difficult time and these winners deserve gingerbread glory for the beauty and creativity they put into their works of holiday culinary art,” said Ronald E. Morin, Executive Director of Operations at The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa. “We had contestants from as far away as Texas, Kansas, Wisconsin and New York enter the event this year. And since the gingerbread houses have to be transported and dropped off at the Grove Park Inn, you know we had some very serious competitors.”

The gingerbread creativity featured themes running the gambit from castles to barnyards and country inns to windmills. There were depictions of the North Pole, the Grand Canal in Venice, toy trains and even the movie Star Wars. Traditional holiday favorites such as The Nutcracker Ballet and the Grinch Who Stole Christmas made appearances in gingerbread, as did President Barack Obama and the First Family.

Winners in this year’s National Gingerbread House Competition™ are:

Grand Prize Winner: Jodie Stowe of Polkville, N.C.

Adult (18 years and older): First Place, Ann Bailey of Cary, N.C.; Second Place, Billy Mochow of Burns, Tenn.; and Third Place, Tracy Navin of Franklin, Tenn.

Teen (13-17 years old): First Place, Lilli McFerrin of Black Mountain, N.C.; Second Place, Courtney Gentry of Hendersonville, N.C.; and Third Place, Skyla Delerme of Asheville, N.C.

Youth (9-12 years old): First Place, Lydia Gentry of Hendersonville, N.C.; Second Place, Karley Tenberg and Danielle Tenberg of Mooresville, N.C.; and Third Place, Emily Spafford of Maryville, Tenn.

Child (5-8 years old): First Place, Amanda Spafford of Maryville, Tenn.; Second Place, Carley Cantrell of Cookeville, Tenn.; and Third Place, Rachel Malmin of Brevard, N.C.

Entries were judged on overall appearance, originality/creativity, difficulty, precision and consistency of theme. Except for the base, the entries must be constructed entirely of edible materials. The maximum size of gingerbread houses in the competition cannot exceed two feet wide, two feet long and two feet high. The National Gingerbread House Competition™ awards more than $12,000 in cash and prizes. The grand prize winner receives a $3,000 cash prize, plus a two night Club Floor stay at The Grove Park Inn & Spa Resort, complete with dinner for two and breakfast daily at the historic hotel. All contestants receive a personalized certificate.

“This is a special time of year at the Grove Park Inn and the gingerbread houses attract thousands of visitors who come to marvel at the craftsmanship and soak in the holiday spirit,” said Heather Brannan, Special Events Manager at The Grove Park Inn. “All of the holiday decorations are up throughout the resort and families come back year after year. It’s a real tradition in the southeast.”

Get your photo made in the sleigh in front of one of the massive fireplaces in the lobby!