From Staff Reports

The annual gingerbread house contest and display, featuring dazzling designs dreamed up by culinary artists, will return to live action with families invited back to view the festive display running from Nov. 28 through January at the historic Omni Grove Park Inn in North Asheville. 

The awards ceremony will be held Nov. 22. Last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire event was virtual.

For those who will not be traveling this season, the hotel will continue “The 12 Days of Gingerbread,” which started in 2020, by releasing one of the Top 12 finalists per day on the hotel’s Facebook (@omnigroveparkinn) and instagram (@omnigrovepark) channels from Dec. 1 to 12.

The hotel’s National Gingerbread House Competition started with a small group of gingerbread houses built by community members in 1992 as another way to celebrate the holiday season. “As the event grew, so did the caliber of judges and competitors, with nationally renowned food, arts and media professionals upping the ante of excitement,” an event promotion stated.