In the wake of Hurricane Helene, the Omni Grove Park Inn’s Annual National Gingerbread House Competition was canceled, but the resort is still supplying seasonal cheer with the Gingerbread Trail of Giving. Instead of a judged competition, more than 45 bakers have their remarkable gingerbread creations set up throughout Asheville, with several at the Omni Grove Park Inn, and the rest showcased at 28 local businesses.
Alongside each gingerbread house is a QR code that people can scan to donate to the Always Asheville Fund, which provides emergency grants to small independent travel and hospitality businesses. Explore the Gingerbread Trail of Giving map to find the local businesses hosting these creative confections. We spotted some stellar gingerbread architecture at Horse + Hero and Element Tree Essentials.
Bonus: Along the trail, there are a couple of stops on and near Wall Street, where many shops are opening up their spaces to businesses displaced by Helene through Miracle on Wall Street. Find the full list of pop-up shops — plus, on Sundays through December, vendors will line the streets, DJs will be spinning tunes, and The Market Place will host oyster roasts.
The gingerbread houses will be on display through Sunday, Jan. 5. And if any bakers want to start honing their skills so they can submit a creation next year, entry opens in late July.
