Cambie Secondary School Display at Gingerbread Lane

Vancouver’s Hyatt Regency is home to Gingerbread Lane, a festive display of tasty-looking Christmas gingerbread creations in downtown Vancouver in December.

The event celebrated its 31st year in 2023 and ran from December 1st to 29th.

There were 17 gingerbread house displays last year (which was fewer than in the past prior to COVID-19). They were still very good, though and worth checking out if you were in the neighbourhood.

Other Christmas events and activities in the City of Vancouver in December include the Festival of Lights at VanDusen Garden, PNE Winter Fair and Vancouver Christmas Market. There is also the Soar with Santa film at FlyOver Canada.

Hyatt Gingerbread Lane

Located at 655 Burrard Street near Georgia, the edible Gingerbread Lane buildings are lovingly made. Their creators include 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. The attraction is free, with donations supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Gingerbread Lane isn’t big and it’s not really an “event.” It’s simply a display of impressive gingerbread houses that are free to admire (although visitors are encouraged to make a donation). In 2019 there were just over 30 houses.

Dropping by at the Hyatt to see the displays in December is something you do when you are already in the neighbourhood. It’s also a great activity to combine with a visit to major holiday attractions in the area. These include places like the Vancouver Christmas Market (at Jack Poole Plaza beside the convention centre) and FlyOver Canada at Christmas (at Canada Place).

What to Expect

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

One of the first things you’ll normally see when you enter the hotel lobby 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 usually find a donation box. After you’ve finished viewing all the various artistic creations you’re encouraged to make a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. You can also vote for your favourite cookie house entry.

Kasian Architecture Gingerbread Display — Gingerbread City Scene by Kasian Architecture (2017)

Gingerbread Lane Past & Present

The gingerbread house displays at the Hyatt have been happening for over 30 years!

Most years there are between 24 and 36 entries. Just a few of our favourites from recent years have included the following:

A city landscape by Kasian Architecture Interior Design. It looked like something sketched, but instead of with pen and paper it was 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 made by Emily Cheung. It was impressive as it was 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 has also been a wonderful Peanuts’ Snoopy and his doghouse as well as a Dr. Seuss Whoville. We’ve also seen a house with Disney characters, an amazing The Lofts Show Suites, and many more amazing creations. Every year is different.

Tips & Advice

Below are some suggestions and other information to help you make the most of your visit to Gingerbread Lane.

TIP #1: The Hyatt Regency is conveniently close to the Burrard Street SkyTrain Station. It’s also right downtown and so close to numerous fancy shops and restaurants.

TIP #2: Gingerbread Lane isn’t a Christmas attraction that you 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, or after visiting the Vancouver Christmas Market.

TIP #3: Expect to stay for between 10 and 25 minutes, all depending on your interest in gingerbread houses.

TIP #4: Gingerbread Lane is a gingerbread house competition most years. There are a number of categories that teams compete. These include schools, professional culinary groups and commercial businesses. The event is a great way to show off your baking and decorating skills, support a charitable cause and get your name out to the public.

TIP #5: 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 #6: Take photos and post your favourites plus comments to X, Instagram and Facebook. If you do this it’ll help spread the word about this free event, plus you might win a prize in some years.

Gingerbread Lane Contests

In addition to raising money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and being fun to look at, the Gingerbread Lane event offers numerous ways for people and organizations to be rewarded. Prizes are for groups entering the gingerbread contest, but also for people making donations and taking photos.

Gingerbread Contestant Prizes

Gingerbread contest categories usually include school groups, corporations and professionals (i.e. chefs and bakeries). There is at least one prize per category. For categories with only a small number of entries there might be only one or two prizes. For categories with numerous entries, though there are prizes for first, second and third place.

Examples of prizes include gift certificates to the Hyatt and to the hotel’s restaurants. School groups can also win money for scholarships.

In addition to prizes awarded by a panel of judges, there are also random draws, like for groups submitting their applications early. There is also usually the “People’s Choice” award. People making donations and voting determine the winner of that.

Donating Prizes

Did you know that when you make a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation at Gingerbread Lane you’re entered to win prizes yourself? That’s right – you can win without having to be artistic, talented with an icing bag and good at baking! (Or at least that was the case in previous years.)

Gingerbread Lane is open to the public and people can go into the Hyatt and admire the displays 24 hours a day during the Christmas season most years. After viewing all the edible artwork visitors are encouraged to take a ballot, make a donation and then vote for their favourite entry.

When you fill out your ballot and provide the necessary details, you are entered in a draw to win valuable prizes including gift certificates.

Holiday Spirit Sweepstakes & Photo Prizes

In addition to there being draw prizes for people making donations, in past years visitors to Gingerbread Lane could also win prizes by taking photos and posting them to social media. At the time of writing this article, 2023 details were to be confirmed.

In previous years prizes included a one-night stay at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver and a $150 gift certificate for use in one of the hotel’s restaurants.

Participating in the Gingerbread Lane

Gingerbread creations from up to 40 different schools, corporations and culinary organizations are featured in Gingerbread Lane at the Hyatt each year. Participation is free.

Hyatt Gingerbread Castle — Castle by B. Skinner & G. Dionne

Applications for participation are accepted each year between around the third week in September and late October. There are two submission dates in the fall and early entries are eligible for a bonus prize draw.

Participation in Gingerbread Lane is free and participants receive fabulous publicity. They also get the joy of supporting a worthwhile charitable cause and an invitation to the event’s opening reception. Some participants are also both lucky and talented enough to win prizes.

Gingerbread entries must meet certain guidelines, have their applications accepted and be both pretty to look at and solidly built (as they need to survive intact for over a month).