Norway House celebrates 10 years of Gingerbread Wonderland

The sweet smell of sugar and gingerbread pervades Norway House, now celebrating its 10th annual Gingerbread Wonderland.

With roughly 230 gingerbread creations, from classic Norwegian houses to football stadiums and even a life-sized troll, the “mostly” edible wonderland features work from bakers of all ages and experience levels.

“The quantity of houses has just grown,” said coordinator Heather Vick. “Every year we think we won’t be able to fit them all because it keeps getting bigger and bigger.”

The gingerbread town gets its inspiration from the world’s largest gingerbread village in Bergen, Norway — “Pepperkakebyen” — where about 2,000 gingerbread buildings make up the traditional Norwegian Christmas event.

In 2015, former director of programs Rachel Peterson approached Vick with the idea of starting their own Christmas tradition at Norway House, and together they brought their version of the Norwegian gingerbread festival to the Twin Cities.

Over the past decade, Vick has watched not only the number of gingerbread creations rise, but also the number of people attending the event.

In addition to the houses, castles and churches brought in by bakers, there is a plethora of “community builds” that were created during one of Norway House’s Gingerbread Community Build Days, where people built structures with provided supplies.

For the past two years, those builds were made possible thanks to a Cultural Districts Arts Fund Initiative award from the city of Minneapolis, grants intended to boost cultural events. The funding allowed Norway House to furnish the needed supplies needed for the events.

“Having a free community build was a big deal, and it brought people in to see Franklin Avenue from all different parts around the Twin Cities area,” Vick said. “It is beautiful starting new traditions for people.”

To celebrate Gingerbread Wonderland’s “10 Years of Wonder,” Vick and her Norway House colleagues brought in Caroline Eriksson, a gingerbread sculptor from Oslo. Eriksson spent 10 days sculpting a life-sized gingerbread troll using chicken wire, foil and, of course, gingerbread.

The troll is on display outside ALSO Ingebretsen’s Gavebutikk, the Nordic-centric gift shop nestled inside Norway House.

Also on display until Jan. 4 are the 2024 Gingerbread Wonderland winners. Of the hundreds submitted, seven were chosen for their creative and unique characteristics. This year’s winners are:

Best adult: Gingerbread Cafe, Katherine Goertz

Best teen: Elf Dormitory, Ellie Beek

Best child: NFL Snack Shack, Bryce Denzer

Most original concept: Seven Dwarves Mine, the Woodward Burdge Family

Best international: Cats of Paris, Joan Moser and Karen Nejedley;

Best Minnesota: James J. Hill Historic Wayzata Train Depot, Susan Droegemueller

Best community build: Pretzel House, Vivian Chow

Location: 913 E. Franklin Av., Mpls., norwayhouse.org

Hours: Tue. and Sun. noon-5 p.m.; Wed., Fri.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thu. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Open through Jan. 4.

Tickets: Free for children 5 and under, $10 for ages 6-17, $15 for adults.

Ella Anderson is a University of Minnesota student on assignment for the Minnesota Star Tribune.