In 2017 Gingerbread Lane runs from December 1st to 29th.

Hyatt Gingerbread Lane

Located at 655 Burrard Street near Georgia, the edible Gingerbread Lane buildings are lovingly made by different bakeries, cooking institutes, restaurants, public schools and other people and organizations from around town.

Over 20,000 visitors admire the culinary creations each year and vote for their favourites. The attraction is free, with donations supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

What to Expect

The displays at Gingerbread Lane are scattered around on a number of seasonally decorated tables in the lobby of Vancouver’s Hyatt Regency Hotel.

As you enter the hotel lobby one of the first things you’ll see is a giant, almost life-size cookie house display. It’s not actually made out of real cookies, although for many years and until recently it was.

Near the giant Christmas cookie-house display you’ll find a donation box, ballot slips and a number of pencils. After you’ve finished viewing all the various artistic creations you are encouraged to make a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, take a ballot and vote for your favourite entry.

Gingerbread Lane 2017

Celebrating its 27th year in 2017, Gingerbread Lane is ideal for people of all ages.

Every year there are between two and three dozen entries and in 2017 there are 33. Just a few of our favourites this year include the following:

• A city landscape by Kasian Architecture Interior Design. It looks like something sketched, but instead of with pen and on paper it’s with fine white icing on a carved-out canvas of gingerbread.
• A tower of a gingerbread house made by the pastry team at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel.
• A gingerbread mansion made by students at David Thompson Secondary School under direction of a couple of professional chefs.
• “Christ Church Cathedral Advent in Christmas” made by Emily Cheung. It’s impressive as it’s a replica of a landmark Vancouver building that can be seen for real on the other side of Burrard Street just outside the Hyatt.
• A church made by chefs and chefs-in-training at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts.

In addition to the above there is also a wonderful Peanuts’ Snoopy and his dog house, a Dr. Seuss Whoville, a house with Disney characters, an amazing The Lofts Show Suites and many more.

Tips and Advice

Below are some suggestions and pieces of general information to help you make the most out of your visit to Gingerbread Lane at the Hyatt Regency.

• TIP #1: There is a fair bit of street parking in the area, although it’s not inexpensive – as much as around $4 per half hour.
• TIP #2: The Hyatt Regency is located conveniently close to the Burrard Street SkyTrain Station. It’s also right downtown and so close to numerous fancy shops and restaurants.
• TIP #3: Gingerbread Lane isn’t a Christmas attraction that you’d typically drive across town especially to see and then go straight home afterwards. It’s a fabulous sight to see, but something to do while in downtown Vancouver anyway, perhaps after work, while shopping on nearby Robson Street, after visiting the Vancouver Christmas Market or before or after a nice meal at a restaurant.
• TIP #4: Expect to stay for between 10 and 30 minutes, all depending on your interest in gingerbread houses.
• TIP #5: Gingerbread Lane is a gingerbread house competition. There are a number of categories that teams compete in including schools, professional culinary groups and commercial businesses. If you like baking and decorating, the event is a great way to show off your talents, support a charitable cause and get your name out it the public. Gingerbread-house-making is also a fun activity to do with friends and colleagues. See below for participation details.
• TIP #6: Make-A-Wish is a charity that grants wishes to children with terminal or life-threatening ailments. Examples of wishes granted include travel to places like Disneyland and meeting celebrities. It’s a great cause, so, if you can, when you vote for your favourite gingerbread house, donate generously!
• TIP #7: When filling out your donation/voting ballot, make sure to write your name, e-mail address and the amount of your donation. If you do that you’ll be entered to win prizes!
• TIP #8: Take photos and post your favourites plus comments to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. If you do this it’ll help spread the word about this great free event, plus you might win a prize. See below for details.