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Writer's pictureNick Brommer

The best smelling competition you'll ever go to

Every year Christ Kitchen of Spokane, a local non-profit business that assists local women, hosts the Gingerbread House Build Off every December.


If you've never been to the competition or seen the results, you'll be bewildered on what can be accomplished with sugary confections. Fondant, glass candy, and powdered sugar get spun into creations that seem to defy basic engineering principles.


Here is a short video from the 2016 competition that was held at The Davenport Grand Hotel:


Video Production details: Video shot with DJI Osmo, stills shot with Canon 5d MKIII, 24-70mm f2.8 lens, edited with Final Cut Pro


Viewing the competition is free, and for a small fee you can buy a miniature gingerbread house kit for you kids to assemble while the competitors scurry to finish their creations right before you eyes. Santa is even available for photos.


This ain't your Grandma's gingerbread house

Okay. Who is the joker that made a gingerbread GOAT?

Even the individual departments at The Davenport Hotel get involved in the competition, you can view their entries in the lobbies of the hotels. I even made a couple of entries, but the competition was fierce and I was outshined.


Every year has a different theme. One year's focus was on Spokane Landmarks, so I went with a Davenport Hotel related entry, hoping to garner a little attention from the judges. Even that wasn't enough to make up for my, shall we say, "rudimentary" building skills.


I went with a replica of the Historic Davenport Hotel's Hall of Doges. During the renovation, the real Hall of Doges was carefully lifted from the hotel via crane and placed across the street while it's new home was constructed. Later, it was dropped back in and refurbished.


Here is my gingerbread interpretation:

Lights. Crane. Stained glass windows. It had it ALL, baby!

Well, I did the best I could. Sadly, my best was kinda lame. This entry still sullies my office to this day.


Another year the theme was "Vacations". If there wasn't a clearer sign to create an homage to one of the best films of all time, I'll never know. As so began the work on the legendary automobile from National Lampoon's Family Vacation, The Family Truckster:

You think you hate it now, but wait until you drive it

Complete with grandma on the roof, leash and collar dangling from the back bumper, and real simulated wood paneling, I this was my piece de resistance.


It was also the year that it was mutually decided by my wife and I that building these creations just "wasn't for me". Many late nights of construction and having a home saturated with frustrated, foul language wasn't high on the "to do" list.


But time heals all wounds, so maybe it's time for another entry. Maybe inspiration will strike this year.


It's a great event that benefits a local non-profit, and just may bring back a little wide-eyed childhood fascination while you're there. Don't miss it!

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