A whimsical creation by an aunt and niece from Fuquay-Varina was the top winner in the 2023 edition of the annual National Gingerbread House Competition held at Asheville's Omni Grove Park Inn.
The winners called their creation "Christmas at the Tongkonan," a reference to the traditional boat-shaped homes of the Torajan people of Indonesia.
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North Carolina creators also took first and second place in the child (ages 5-8) category and third in the youth (ages 9-12) category.
The all entries will be on display at the Grove Park in through Tuesday, January 2, 2024.
Each creation entry is required to be 75% gingerbread and 100% edible. Judges consider overall appearance, originality, creativity, difficulty, precision and consistency of theme in categories for adults, teens, youth and child.
This year marks the 31st year of the competition, which began in 1992 with a small group of community members who were passionate about building gingerbread houses and has since evolved into one of the most competitive holiday events in the country.
2023 winners of the National Gingerbread House Competition
The 2023 winning entries in the categories of Adult, Teen, Youth, Child and People's Choice: Best in Show Award include:
Grand Prize Winner, Adult: Difficult Dessert Devotees, "Christmas at the Tongkonan" – Fuquay Varina, NC
Adult Second Place: Pat Ashley Howard, "Moving Day" – Orlando, FL
Adult Third Place: Bonnie Hardiman, "Home Delivery" – Hagerstown, MD
Teen (ages 13-17) First Place: Courtland High School German Program, "Vintage Voyage" – Spotsylvania, VA
Teen Second Place: Toccoa Titans, "Grove's Miracle Tonic" – Blue Ridge, GA
Teen Third Place: Emma Rhinehart, "An Elegant Christmas" – Columbia, TN
Youth (ages 9-12) First Place: Frost Girls, "Fun in the Tub" – Woodbury, MN
Youth Second Place: Perry Reid, "Holiday Smackdown" – Travelers Rest, SC
Youth Third Place: The Fiddleheads, "Little Blue Truck's Christmas" – Clyde, NC
Child (ages 5-8) First Place: Grace Webster, "The Night of Magical Memories" – Greenville, SC
Child Second Place: China Grove Cousins, "Ready, Set, SNOOOOWWWW!!!!" – Mooresville, NC
Child Third Place: Paul Frahler, "Bath Santa Takes Off!" – Greenville, SC
People's Choice: Best in Show Award: Love at Frost Sight, "Rockin' at the Diner" - Woodbury, MN
The 2023 winners across the six Chef Nicholas Lodge Awards include:
Best Use of Color: Love at Frost Sight, "Rockin' at the Diner" – Woodbury, MN
Best Use of Sprinkles: Chloe Jennings, "Visions of Sugar Plums" – Purlear, NC
Most Unique Ingredient: with use of Catgut Dental Sutures and Stevia Leaves, Difficult Dessert Devotees, "Christmas at Tongkonan" – Fuquay Varina, NC
Most Innovative Structure: Andrea Watson, "Yo-Ho-Ho-Ho – Simpsonville, SC
Pop Culture Star: Shelby Pechtel, "Groot's First Christmas" – Troutman, NC
Longest Standing Competitor: Merry Spafford, "A Classical Christmas Carol" – Loudon, TN
The 2023 winner for the participant who traveled the furthest came all the way from Guatemala.
Furthest Traveled Competitor: Beatriz Mejia, "Barrel Organ" – Guatemala