[ChuckDickerson]

That gingerbread competition is held every year at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC. My wife's family is from Asheville and it had been a family tradition to visit the Grove Park gingerbread displays every year at Christmas. Sadly, my wife's last remaining grandparent passed away a two years ago so we haven't made the trek to Asheville for the last two years. We really miss the gingerbread displays and if you are ever in Asheville this time of year a visit to the historic Grove Park Inn would be well worth your time. Now we look forward to the Food Network special each year. Unfortunately, as with most TV coverage they never give enough time to the truly outstanding entrees in the youth category. The kids have the best displays hands down. The adult categories are better built, more detailed, etc. but I much prefer the kids stuff. Don't kid yourself, the adult category is very serious stuff. Some of those folks are just as passionate about their gingerbread as we are about FIRST. Some of those folks eat, breath, and sleep their gingerbread and do it 365 days a year. If there is a better way to make gingerbread more structurally sound they have found it. Did you see the guy that made the functioning carousel using the power tools on his gingerbread? I mean really! A belt sander and a scroll saw on gingerbread? From what I have seen over the years the big problem isn't so much the gingerbread itself as it is the glue that holds all the parts together.