National Gingerbread House Day Is December 12—Here's Where You Can See Some Incredible Creations

Switch off the real estate shows and take your dream-house voyeurism in a spicier direction. The 12 finalists in the National Gingerbread Competition will be displayed all month long at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina. (A past contender is shown at right.) Another great way to celebrate National Gingerbread House Day, which falls on December 12? Bake your own hot property. But if you want to simply see what the experts dream up, discover gingerbread house competitions to visit across the country.

Lahaska, Pennyslvania

Feast your eyes on the stunning gingerbread houses in this competition. "Around the World," "Movie or TV Set," and "Holiday on Wheels" are a few of the categories in the Gingerbread Competition at Peddler's Village resort. The judgement for every entry will take place during the week of November 15, 2021. Each gingerbread house gets a scale from one to five based on overall appearance and composition of the design, "holiday spirit" incorporated in the design, originality and imagination and use of materials, difficulty of design and design execution, and "fit" in the category. Admire them on-site from November 19 to January 8.

Savannah, Georgia

The Great American Gingerbread House Competition and Trail hosts a contest and ball at the DeSoto Hotel in December each year. The 20th anniversary was canceled this year, however, the competition annually features 20 finalists that will be showcased across town through December 25th. There are three categories: Youth, group, and family fun; adult gingerbread contest; and build local. The latter is meant for non-profits, businesses, hotels, restaurants, shops, and other businesses to build and showcase festive houses in their business.

Springfield, Massachusetts

Vote for your favorite build during the 12th Annual Gingerbread Exhibition, from November 26 to January 2 at the Springfield Museums. This year's deeply creative theme: "Under the Sea." The site notes that "visitors will dive into the enchanted waters and journey to the bottom of the sea where fantastical creatures and colorful plants are interpreted as culinary creations!"