The Omni Grove Park Inn Announces Winners of the 24th annual National Gingerbread House Competition
Contributors are not employed, compensated or governed by TD, opinions and statements are from the contributor directly
WINNERS OF THE LARGEST NATIONAL GINGERBREAD HOUSE COMPETITION ANNOUNCED AT THE OMNI GROVE PARK INN
Gingerbread artists from across the country came together to showcase their show-stopping designs yesterday, Monday, Nov. 21 for the 24th annual National Gingerbread House Competition in Asheville, N.C. Hosted by The Omni Grove Park Inn, more than 150 entries were received from culinary enthusiasts across the country vying for a chance to win the grand prize of $8,500, with total prizes for all categories valued at more than $22,000.
Each culinary design was judged on overall appearance, originality/creativity, difficulty, precision and consistency of theme, with a requirement of being at least 75 percent gingerbread. This year’s elite panel of judges featured world-renowned pastry chefs, artists and media experts, including the nutritionist for NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” a curator from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, instructor and co-owner of International Sugar Art Collection, the author of “Making Great Gingerbread Houses” and many others.
The 2016 winning entries in the categories of adult, teen, youth and child include:
Grand Prize Winner – Adult:
Beatriz Müller, Innisfil, Ontario, Canada
Adult Second Place: Glenda Tant, Lebanon, TN
Adult Third Place: Linda Carney, Asheville, NC
Teen (13- to 17-year-olds) First Place:
Team – Courtland High School German Program, Spotsylvania, VA
Teen Second Place: Gabriella Arthur, Easley, SC
Teen Third Place: Chloe Jennings, Purlear, NC
Youth (9- to 12-year-olds) First Place: Perry Pate, Hickory, NC
Youth Second Place: Team – The Tree Toppers, Blue Ridge, GA
Youth Third Place: Josie Robinette, Asheville, NC
Child (5- to 8-year-olds) First Place: Team – Edwards Workshop, China Grove, NC
Child Second Place: Avery Browning & Gilliam McCormick, Candler, NC
Child Third Place: Steven Forrest, Shelby, NC
The Omni Grove Park Inn will be displaying all gingerbread designs on a complimentary basis from Sunday, Nov. 27 through Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017. A portion of parking proceeds generated during this period are being donated to the following local nonprofit organizations: Asheville City Schools Foundation; American Legion Baseball Post #70; Homeward Bound; United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County; Meals on Wheels of Asheville and Buncombe County; and Children First/Communities in Schools.
Travelers interested in viewing the hundreds of intricate and stunning holiday designs can book the Gingerbread Holiday Bed & Breakfast Package for stays from now through Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016. Starting at $289 per night, the package includes deluxe accommodations, the Art of Breakfast Buffet in the Blue Ridge restaurant per registered guest, one gingerbread cookie per registered guest and overnight valet or garage parking (one vehicle per room). Additionally, each stay at an Omni Hotel or Resort contributes to the brand’s “Say Goodnight to Hunger” program, which provides a family of four dinner for an entire week for every booking made directly on OmniHotels.com.
To view high-resolution images of the complete list of winning gingerbread displays, visit here. In addition, b-roll from the event will be available by request beginning Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016. B-roll from last year’s competition is available here. For more information or to make reservations, call 1-800-438-5800 or visit www.omnihotels.com/hotels/ asheville-grove-park.