California Gingerbread Displays

No Cookie Cutter Operation at These Gingerbread Festivals and Events

Gingerbread is the hot, new medium for artists to show what their made of. It's a field where half-baked ideas don't cut it. From the $500 admission Gingerbread City in San Diego, to  lavish displays such as the enormous 22 feet high by 23 feet wide Gingerbread House at Fairmont San Francisco (free to see), you'd never believe gingerbread could offer so much entertainment.

One of the grandest opportunities to view gingerbread art takes place each year in Sausalito where the month-long Sausalito Chamber Gingerbread House Tour of businesses throughout the city includes traditional to quirky, and even avant-garde. One window display in a couture shop last year included a body mannequin clad in a skirt made of a gingerbread house!

One of the most visited gingerbread displays each year provides "wow" at the famed Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. A place where Halloween and Christmas collide provides unexpected gingerbread surprise with attention to fine details you'd see in a work of art.

If you think that gingerbread is limited to the talents of adults, you need to check out Discovery Science Center contest entries during the annual Science of Gingerbread festival in Santa Ana and Los Angeles. Youngsters get a chance to cut their teeth with behind-the-scenes learning about what gingerbread is and how it comes into being. Some of the fantastic gingerbread designs make us wonder if parents might helped. Maybe, or maybe not.

ANAHEIM:  Haunted Mansion Holiday Gingerbread House at Disneyland through holiday season.
disneyland.com
It's no surprise that this monstrous dessert took six talented culinary Disneyland Resort Central Bakery team members 13 days to make. Standing at nearly 10-feet tall, the Haunted Mansion replica itself steals the hearts of all who lay eyes to it with its intricate details and some familiar faces. There are 15 spirited Haunted Mansion residents made of gingerbread cookies ranging from 24 to 30 inches tall. Over 30 pounds of gingerbread, 120 pounds of frosting and icing, 75 pounds of powdered sugar, 140 pounds of fondant …and more!   A tradition since 2001, the 19th season of creating this delectable dessert is more innovative every year! Tim Wollweber, associate art director for Disney Parks, who designed this year's house, explained that this was a challenge on a whole different level. "We tried to keep it as faithful to the Haunted Mansion itself so guests could immediately get that it's the mansion, and know that it's a heartfelt 'dead-ication' to it," said Wollweber. "We have lantern bits in there, doors where they generally would be found, green iron work in there…we've never really done that before."

ANAHEIM: Grand Californian Gingerbread Display
(714) 635-2300
disneyland.com
Grand Gingerbread House throughout Holiday Season
A highlight at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel is the giant gingerbread replica of the hotel itself, complete with 25 Hidden Mickeys. Standing 7.5 feet tall and 12 feet wide, this delicious structure was created from more than 600 pounds of gingerbread, as well as 60 gallons of frosting and icing. Hungry guests may order gingerbread cookies and hot chocolate from the lobby's holiday cart.

DANA POINT: Gingerbread Extravaganza  Not confirmed in 2022 - a sand sculpture may have replace gingerbread!
The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel Lobby
One Ritz Carlton Drive
Dana Point, California 92629
facebook.com/ritzcarltonlagunaniguel
Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel resort pastry team creates a spectacular gingerbread extravaganza each year,  fashioned out of homemade gingerbread, colorful candy, sweet treats, baked goods, and other delectable confections.  The resort's expert pastry team creates a spectacular 24 foot by 9 foot house made gingerbread extravaganza available on public display until the New Year. Developed by Executive Pastry Chef Sylvain Haage, this year's holiday-inspired gingerbread extravaganza theme "Twas The Night Before Christmas" depicts a magical evening when Santa Claus flies around the world to deliver presents. Chef Haage and team  spent more than 500 hours creating an incredible confectionary display highlighting significant monuments and landmarks from the U.S., Europe, Mexico, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Canada, South America, Australia, Antarctica, and Santa's workshop itself - the North Pole. Visitors are invited to see this festive, holiday attraction in the Lobby. 

KINGSBURG: Santa Lucia Celebration Gingerbread House Contes  kingsburgchamber.com
The contest displays can be seen throughout the day at City Hall council chambers.

LOS ANGELES: Discovery Science Center Science of Gingerbread 
11800 Foothill Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
discoverycube.org/gingerbread
Similar event to its Orange County Discovery Science Center counterpart, there's an annual contest and displays that can be seen throughout the holiday season.

OLYMPIC VALLEY: Gingerbread Village featured annually at Resort at Squaw Creek Lake Tahoe  Fireworks, and Gingerbread Display Opening
400 Squaw Creek Road
Olympic Valley, CA
destinationhotels.com | squawcreek.com
Indoor GINGERBREAD VILLAGE sets the stage for a holiday filled with snow sports and scenes visible through the large glass windows of the resort hotel that includes skiing, ice skating, snowshoeing, fine dining, parties and more. 

OXNARD:  Annual Gingerbread Fest at Heritage Square, 13th Annual Gingerbread House Exhibit & Tours 
Heritage Square Hall
731 South A Street
Oxnard, CA
 Tours $  per person. Evening and weekday Group Tours by appointment, heritagesquareoxnard.com
Come see the Square decorated at the best time of the year. Magnificent display of gingerbread creations at Heritage Square Hall. While visiting us, take a guided tour of the former houses' exteriors w/select interiors.
The holidays wouldn't be complete without sweet smelling gingerbread. Follow the scent to Heritage Square in Downtown Oxnard for the Heritage Square Holiday Tours and Annual Gingerbread Fest. Costumed docents lead tours of the historic houses exteriors and select interiors with tours offered on the weekends. The elaborate gingerbread houses are displayed at Heritage Square Hall.

PETALUMA: Hotel Petaluma Gingerbread House Contest Awards will be given in each category. The community votes for the People's Choice winner. Show your civic pride by competing in the Petaluma Proud category. All winners will be announced on the final day of the showcase, 
 It's a holiday event for the whole community, featuring a gingerbread house showcase and competition. Enter your gingerbread creation for a chance to win! Showcase opens on Friday, festivities wrap on Sunday with a big bash! Location: Hotel Petaluma, 205 Kentucky Street, Petaluma, CA.  Free Admission, hotelpetaluma.com | posted on visitpetaluma.com - facebook.com/events/590382042395451

SAN DIEGO: Gingerbread City 
Epilepsy Foundation of San Diego County has hosted an annual Gingerbread City gala for over 60 years. Tickets $500/person. The finest chefs in town come to create and compete in the gingerbread contest which, for many, is the highlight to the holiday season. Your ticket also helps the foundation's causes.

SAN FRANCISCO: Fairmont San Francisco Gingerbread House   

SANTA ANA The Science of Gingerbread 
entries open $ museum admission, discoverycube.org
The sweeter the mix, the more irresistible the science! This holiday season, Discovery Science Center (DSC) presents the Annual Science of Gingerbread exhibit and competition with some sweet activities, cool experiments, and amazing gingerbread creations. Join Southern California's largest Gingerbread Competition and Display at the Cube, and check out amazing creations.
The Science of Gingerbread daily program includes:
Winter Sleighs - Design, build and zip your very own vehicle through the holiday skies.
The Elves Workshop - Tinker like an elf, and construct a toy contraption.
Climate Discovery - It's Winter somewhere, experiment with Fahrenheit in the So Cal winter temperatures
Daily Stage Show "Sweet Structures" - Learn the fundamentals of design and engineering in the kitchen
Plus, what's a holiday season, without Cookie Decorating? The bakeshop has a sweet treat!
Can You Build it? Show: Using only wooden building blocks, families are invited to build and compete together in a variety challenges.
Gingerbread Man Escape: Families and kids help the Gingerbread Man run, run as fast as he can by designing, building, and testing his escape vehicle.
Design a Food Model: Kids practice the engineering design process by inventing and designing their own food model.
Cookie Decorating: Kids learn about the primary and secondary colors as they mix their own colored frosting and decorate their own sugar cookies.
Tallest Tower Challenge: Families use only spaghetti and marshmallows to build the tallest tower. (Weekends only)

SAUSALITO: Gingerbread House Competition  sausalito.org/gingerbread-house-tour
Annual Gingerbread House Competition & Tour - Take the walking Tour of the houses on display throughout Sausalito during the month of December. Businesses throughout Sausalito create amazing Gingerbread Houses. Look for window signage indicating a Participant. 

 

Events are not guaranteed. It is your responsibility to confirm before going.