From Staff Reports

The 24th annual National Gingerbread House Competition exhibit is open to the public through Jan. 5 at the Omni Grove Park Inn in North Asheville, with viewing times after 3 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays.

The display of the entries opened Nov. 27.

While no reservations are needed and there is no admission charge, there is a $10 per vehicle fee for parking. 

The parking fees will go — in part — to a different local nonprofit each week, including Asheville City Schools Foundation (Nov. 27-Dec. 1), Children First/Communities in Schools (Dec. 2-8), United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County (Dec. 9-15), Homeward Bound (Dec. 16-22), American Legion Baseball Post No. 70 (Dec. 23-29) and Meals on Wheels of Asheville and Buncombe County (Dec. 30-Jan. 5).

Meanwhile, the 2016 grand prize winner was Beatriz Müller of Innisfil, Ontario, Canada, with her “Dream House,” a magical and gravity-defying display of sugarcraft. Müller’s  gingerbread castle towered over its platform, featuring Gothic spires and arches.

As the first-place winner, Müller received $5,000 cash, a two-night stay at the Omni GPI and a prize package that includes a two-day class at the Chef Nicholas Lodge’s school in Atlanta.

Nine top chefs judged the show that included some entries that took sugarcrafters as much as six months to complete.

Placing second was Glenda Tant of Lebanon, Tenn., with “Poinsettiaville,” featuring tiny fairies frolicking beneath a sparkling bouquet of edible poinsettia flowers.

Tant’s prize for second place was $2,500 cash and a two-night stay at the inn and a spa package.

The third-place winner was Asheville’s Linda Carney for her gingerbread scuplture “The Bakers,” featuring two gingerbread cookies baking gingerbread.

Carney’s prize for third place was $1,200 cash and a one-night stay at the inn.

Besides the adult competition, there also were categories for child, youth and teen, with a crowning of the top winner in each group.

In the child category (ages 5-8), the Edwards Workshop team from China Grove won the top prize with their “Build a Snowman Workshop” candy sculpture.

For youths (ages 9-12), Perry Pate of Hickory snared the grand prize with her “Chef Ginger the Nutcracker” design.

In the teen category (ages 12-17), Courtland High School German Program from Spotsylvania, Va., won first prize for the school’s crafting of a fairytale-like German Village that it named “Once Upon a Time.”

The first-place winners of the teen category  won $750 cash for their effort in building a sugar-filled creation.