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Gingerbread & Gratitude
A Holiday Competition and Exhibition Honoring Our Military
Presented by the Virginia Beach Restaurant Association in partnership with Coastal Virginia Magazine, the Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum, and the Culinary Institute of Virginia
CALLING ALL GINGERBREAD DEVOTEES! Join the 2026 Gingerbread & Gratitude Competition & Holiday Trail, November 23-December 29!
Open to Adults, Youth, Students and Culinary Professionals, with a special invitation to active-duty military, veterans, military families, commands, squadrons, and ships to create entries celebrating service, homecomings, traditions, and what “home” means to you.
Public Voting * Special Awards
Ready to accept the Gingerbread Challenge?
OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM
Complete this section as an Individual Competitor or a Team Captain. All fields are required.
OFFICIAL RULES AND PROCEDURES
Please read all information fully and carefully. Requirements are included. The following rules and procedures have been set forth and established by The Virginia Beach Restaurant Association (henceforth referred to as VBRA) for the purpose of the Annual Virginia Beach Gingerbread Competition.
VBRA reserves the right to refuse any entry deemed inappropriate. For additional questions, please contact director@dineinvb.com.
IMPORTANT DATES AND FORMS
Competitor Entry Form
Deadline: Friday, November 9, 2026, by 5pm ET. Online registration only.
Gingerbread Load-in
November 16-17, 2026, 10am-5pm – Delivery times will be assigned
Gingerbread Display – Public Viewing
November 27 – December 29, 2026
ENTRY NOTIFICATION AND COMMUNICATION
The registered Competitor will receive all correspondence, notifications, and updates regarding the Annual Virginia Beach Gingerbread House Competition and Exhibit via email. If the individual entering is under 18 years of age by the date of the Competition entry, consent from a parent or legal guardian is required in addition to disclosing the minor’s date of birth. Following receipt of the Competitor Entry Form, the entrant will receive a confirmation email.
ENTRY CATEGORIES
The following categories are available for entry into the Annual Virginia Beach Gingerbread House Competition and Exhibit:
- Child/Youth: Ages 5-10
- Tween/Teen: Ages 11-17
- Adult: Ages 18+
- Community & Organization Division
- Bakery Business, Pastry Student or Professional
THEME
Get Creative!
There is no required theme. Your design is entirely up to you.
Create something fun, imaginative and uniquely yours. Voters will be looking at the overall appearance, creativity, craftsmanship and how well your idea comes together.
VOTING
The public chooses the winners!
Visitors may vote once in each category during the voting period at https://gingerbread.coastalvirginiamag.com.
Winners will be notified by email and announced following the competition through participating organizations and their social media channels.
MATERIALS, CONSTRUCTION and SIZE LIMITATIONS
MATERIALS
Building Your Gingerbread House
A few simple rules keep things fair:
- Everything above the base must be edible, including anything used to hold the house together.
- Candy, cookies, gingerbread, icing, fondant, chocolate, gum paste, modeling chocolate, sugar, and similar edible materials are welcome.
- Candy must be unwrapped and have non-edible pieces, such as lollipop sticks, removed.
- Non-edible decorations may be used only around the outside edge of the base.
- Styrofoam, lights, electronics, and other non-edible structural or display materials are not permitted.
- Store-bought gingerbread house kits are welcome in all categories except Bakery Business, Pastry Student, or Professional.
Most importantly, the entry should be the work of the person entering it. Younger competitors may have appropriate adult help and supervision for safety.
SIZE
Your gingerbread creation must:
- Be secured to a sturdy base
- Measure no more than 16 inches high × 16 inches wide × 16 inches long, including the base
- Have nothing extending beyond the edge of the base
- Weigh no more than 50 pounds
A ½-inch or ¾-inch-thick base is recommended. Small feet or risers underneath are welcome but must be included within the 16-inch height limit.
Need approval for something outside these dimensions? Contact director@dineinvb.com before building.
POST-DISPLAY ENTRY PICKUP
Competitors who want to keep their gingerbread entry after the Competition display ends must pick up their display on Friday, January 4, or Saturday, January 5, 2027, at times to be determined.
Entries not picked up by 5 p.m. on January 5th will be discarded.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
- By voluntarily participating in the Competition, I’ve consented to receiving email communication from Virginia Beach Restaurant Association (VBRA) about the Competition itself and future Competition planning/media requests as they arise. Competitors may unsubscribe at any time by alerting VBRA of their preference.
- By participating, I grant VBRA, its event partners, sponsors, host display locations and affiliated organizations permission to photograph, reproduce and use images of my entry and/or me with my entry for promotional, media and event-related purposes, including print, digital, social media, video and television.
- I agree to abide by all competition Rules and Procedures. VBRA reserves the right to amend the rules, refuse entries deemed inappropriate for public display, or disqualify entries that do not comply with competition requirements or contain inaccurate information.
- I agree to HOLD HARMLESS, RELEASE, DEFEND, AND INDEMNIFY, each of their current or former predecessors, successors, each of their affiliated organizations and companies, their insurance companies, their respective agents, employees, representatives, assignees, officers, directors, members, partners, medical providers and shareholders (each a “RELEASED PARTY”) for ANY AND ALL LIABILITY and/or claims arising from injury to persons or damage to property arising from the incident, any RELEASED PARTY’S alleged or actual NEGLIGENCE OR GROSS NEGLIGENCE, BREACH OF any express or implied WARRANTY, breach of contract, or breach of any statutory or other duty of care, or mistakes or errors in judgment of any kind. By signing this release, I agree that I am releasing any right to make a claim or file a lawsuit against Virginia Beach Restaurant Association (VBRA), Coastal Virginia Magazine, Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum, the historic de Witt Cottage, and the Culinary Institute of Virginia. THE RELEASOR AGREES TO DEFEND AND INDEMNIFY each RELEASED PARTY for any and all claims and/or those of a third party arising from the incident.
Sponsored by Coastal Virginia Magazine, the Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum, and the Culinary Institute of Virginia
