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. 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.
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.
GRAND PRIZE WINNER 2008
Mrs. Billie Mochow of Burns, TN
Adult 1st Place 2008
Ms. Suzanne M. Kanaly of Liberty Township, OH
Adult 2nd Place 2008
Ms. Gail Ketchum of Cincinnati, OH
Adult - 3rd Place 2008
Mrs. Ashley Howard of Winter Springs, FL
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2008 Winners of the National Gingerbread House Competition
(From Grove Park Inn) Billie Mochow from Burns, Tennessee has been named the Grand Prize winner of the 2008 National Gingerbread House Competition at The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa in Asheville, N.C. Along. A field of seven judges deliberated for more than six hours on Monday to determine the winners among four categories: Adult, Teen 13-17 and Youth 9 to 12 and Child 8 and under. More than 600 spectators watched the judging process in the resort’s Grand Ballroom.
The First Place Adult was awarded to Suzanne Kanaly of Liberty Township, Ohio. Other first-place winners included Patterson and Peyton Young from Weaverville, North Carolina in the Teen age group, Emily Spafford from Maryville, Tennessee in the Youth category and Lydia Gentry from Hendersonville, North Carolina in the Child category.
There were a total of 124 Youth, 73 Teen and 203 Adult entries in the 17th Annual National Gingerbread House Competition.
As always, judging the creative creations was difficult and the proof was in the judge’s final tallies. Mochow won the grand prize by a mere two points in a close battle for the coveted grand prize. In fact, the judges were forced to award a tie for the adult fourth place winners.
“I’m so excited and proud,” said Billie Mochow. “I thought I reached the top when I won first place in 2007.”
“Mochow’s creative and unique entry exhibited was an example of perfection exhibiting incredible attention to detail.” Said Judge Nicholas Lodge, owner of the International Sugar Arts Collection School in Atlanta, Georgia. As the Grand Prize winner, she won $3,000. cash, a certificate for a course at the International Sugar Arts Collection School, plus a Grove Park Inn Club Floor Package for two which includes two nights' accommodations on the Club Floor, dinner for two in the AAA four diamond award winning Horizons Restaurant and breakfast each morning – a total value of $5,200. Total cash and prizes awarded at the competition totaled $12,000.
The 2008 National Gingerbread House Competition display and holiday decorations will be open for community viewing Monday through Thursday from November 19, 2008 through January 4, 2009. Overnight Resort guests as well as those dining at the Resort’s restaurants or enjoying the lounges are invited to view the displays at any time.
The Grove Park Inn also partners with downtown Asheville’s historic Grove Arcade to honor thirty-five entries. Thirty-five houses were selected by Grove Park Inn’s Floral & visual Design Manger Royce Wilson. The Grove Arcade, one of Asheville’s architectural jewels, was envisioned by E.W. Grove, the creator of the Grove Park Inn.
Mochow’s winning entry and selected other winners will be removed from The Grove Park Inn display during the week of December 22 as the resort transports them to New York City for its eleventh straight appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Wednesday, December 24th.
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.
Seven judges had the very tough job of determining this year’s winning entries including Chef Aaron Morgan, The Grove Park Inn’s Executive Pastry Chef; Chef Nick Lodge (Atlanta, GA), founder, The International Sugar Art Collection; Nadine Orenstein (New York), curator Department of Arts and Drawings, Metropolitan Museum of Art; Chef Steven Stellingwerf (Sioux Falls, SD), author of "The Gingerbread Book;" Gerry Hempel-Davis (Richmond, VA), travel writer; Chef Colette Peters (New York), owner of Colette’s Cakes and Chef Mark Seaman (Chicago, IL), owner of Marked For Dessert. Jill Cordes (New York), host of “Best Of” on Food Network, “My First Place” on HGTV and “Brighter Living” served as master of ceremonies.
Here are the official results for the 2008 National Gingerbread House Competition Results:
November 17, 2008
ADULT
Grand Prize Billie Mochow – Burns, Tennessee
1st Place Suzanne Kanaly – Liberty Township, OH
2nd Place Gail Ketchum and Amy Flaherty – Cincinnati, OH
3rd Place Patricia Howard - Winter Springs, Florida
4th Place (TIE) Maggie Falkner - Hendersonville, NC
Cathy Barron – Depew, NY
TEEN 13 - 17
1st Place Patterson and Peyton Young – Weaverville, NC
2nd Place Corriher Lipe Middle School (Teacher: Sharon Edwards) – Landis, NC
3rd Place Courtney Gentry – Hendersonville, NC
4th Place Lynsay Tarus, Brooklyn Watts and Taylor Oliver – Maryville, TN
YOUTH 9 - 12
1st Place Emily Spafford (11 years old) - Maryville, TN
2nd Place Amy Ray (12 years old) - Charlotte, NC
3rd Place Ryan Brantolino(10 years old) – Lenoir, NC
4th Place Katelyn Cope (11 years old) - Asheville, NC
CHILD 8 and under
1st Place Lydia Gentry (8 years old) - Hendersonville, NC
2nd Place Jake Brantolino (8 years old) - Lenoir, NC
3rd Place Amanda Spafford (8 years old) - Maryville, TN
4th Place Danielle Tenberg (8 years old) – Mooresville, NC
Make plans now to enter the 2009 National Gingerbread House Competition. The 17th annual event is set for Monday, November 16, 2009. |
