Sweet displays around the Commonwealth.
The life-sized gingerbread house at Williamsburg Lodge.
Photo courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg
Here in Virginia, candy construction is serious business. From family-friendly gingerbread competitions to professionally done masterpieces, these are the best gingerbread displays to scope out this holiday season!
Omni Hotel, Charlottesville
What do a fried chicken dinner, lantern festival, and pickle on a tree have in common? Each falls under the theme of the 2019 Virginia Gingerbread Christmas: Christmas Around the World! This year, participants are encouraged to “design structures that reflect a Christmas tradition from their own cultural heritage or a tradition they admire.” Businesses, local chefs, families, and all gingerbread enthusiasts are invited to submit entry forms by Dec. 2. Winners are decided Dec. 7, and all entries are on display Dec. 8-11 at the Omni Hotel in downtown Charlottesville (display times vary). Ronald McDonald House Charities sponsors the event, and proceeds support families with seriously ill children undergoing treatment in Charlottesville.
Stonewall Jackson Hotel and Conference Center, Staunton
Join the Paris Cake Company on Dec. 8 for Staunton’s 4th Annual Gingerbread Workshop! Team up with family and friends to decorate your own gingerbread manor, which is pre-built and ready to decorate. Purchase your house in advance (up to four people per house) to attend the event and enjoy complimentary coffee, hot cocoa, juice, and cookies. All ages are welcome to attend.
Gingerbread Workshop at Stonewall Jackson Hotel.
Photo courtesy of Stonewall Jackson Hotel
Hyatt Regency, Reston
A beloved tradition since the 1990s, Hyatt Regency Reston’s Gingerbread Village comes alive each holiday season in the hotel’s grand conservatory lobby. The classic village—planned and built by executive chef Viktor Merenyi and executive sous chef Gaston Sanchez—draws the community in to see the spectacular themed display, which is near the festive entrance and surrounded by a decorated Christmas tree and an authentic Lionel train set. Admission is free, but donations are accepted in support of a different local charity each year. The Gingerbread Village opens the day after Thanksgiving and will be displayed through Jan. 2.
Jefferson Hotel, Richmond
The annual Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Jefferson Hotel draws hundreds of attendees each year for live music, complimentary refreshments, free admission … and the chance to feast your eyes on a thousand-pound conglomeration of gingerbread, candies, and icing. Executive pastry chef Sara Ayyash and her experienced team spend hundreds of hours building a gingerbread colossus, which never fails to impress. Visit Richmond’s historic hotel and catch a first glimpse of its life-sized gingerbread cottage during the 2019 Tree Lighting Ceremony on Dec. 2.
Williamsburg Lodge, Williamsburg
Come December, the picturesque streets of Colonial Williamsburg are adorned with red ribbons and wreaths, twinkling candles, and towering Christmas trees. There’s Christmas caroling, an ice-skating rink, Christmas shops open year-round—and a life-sized gingerbread house in the lobby of the Williamsburg Lodge. The 64-square-foot house takes 330 hours to create, as well as 150 pounds of icing, 55 pounds of candy, and 375 pounds of gingerbread. The house will be open and on display starting Nov. 30.
This article originally appeared in our December 2019 issue.
