Creativity and passion. Those are two words that can be associated with the gingerbread house displays at The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Caroline. These displays take visitors on a journey through time as they witness the charming displays that help bring people to the Asheville area. In their website, omnihotels.com, the displays are described in detail, but are summarized in just a few words to help show its extravagance to the public.

“This nationally known competition and display features whimsical and elaborate, handmade gingerbread houses of every size, shape, complexity, and theme. You’ll find quaint rustic cabins, gumdrop-adorned castles and sugar spun landscapes that’ll likely inspire your own gingerbread traditions.”

Many families make the journey to Asheville for its shops and restaurants or the world-renowned Biltmore Estate, but during the holiday season most publicity is given to the gingerbread creations of people of all ages. These ages range anywhere from child to teen to fully grown adult. It’s not rare for someone from the upstate of South Carolina to win either. Within the past couple of years there have been many winners from the Greenville-Spartanburg area, including teenagers.

Many families enjoyed their visit to the Omni Grove Park and its gingerbread display so much that they have decided to make it into a sort of tradition. Isabelle Caldwell (12) enjoys witnessing the creativity and artistic capabilities of the creators of the gingerbread displays. She found it fascinating to see some of her childhood memories and favorite movies come to live with just some dough and frosting. But the most important part of the displays is being able to go with her family.

“My family and grandparents usually accompany me whenever we go to see the gingerbread houses,” Caldwell said. “It is a yearly tradition for us to get hot chocolate at Grove Park and walk around looking at gingerbread houses.”

Often when people visit from out of town, they are inspired to make their own gingerbread creations. While they will most likely not meet the same standard of elegance as those from Asheville, it didn’t stop Caldwell from wishing for that to happen.

“Every year my family and I go to my grandparents’ house and make gingerbread houses together. As a kid I always wanted to have my gingerbread house put in Grove Park,” Caldwell said.

While the gingerbread houses can inspire some people, it can also be a bit intimidating in all of its glory to others. Simply due to its magnificence and the grandeur of its spectacle, Claire Hammond (10), has stayed away from trying to replicate the gingerbread houses she grew up going to see.

“I was not inspired to make my own because the gingerbread houses were so elaborate, and I felt as though anything I did could not come close to the scale of those houses in Asheville,” Hammond said.

Whether inspiring or not, the gingerbread houses at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville will always be a staple of the holiday season. From their homeliness and nostalgic presence alone it will remind friends and family that the best way to spend the holiday season is with each other.