Habitat Victoria’s 16th Annual
November 22, 2024 - January 5, 2025
Presented by
Come down to the Victoria Harbour and visit
Hotel Grand Pacific for this holiday favourite.
An iconic Victoria holiday tradition, Habitat Victoria’s Gingerbread Showcase, presented by Peninsula Co-op and hosted at the Hotel Grand Pacific is back for its 16th year! This is Habitat Victoria’s premier annual fundraising event, contributing to helping local families get a hand-up into affordable homeownership.
The event sees over 20,000 visitors from school groups, community groups, Victoria locals, tourists and more. All attendees are encouraged to vote for their favourite and make a donation.
Habitat Victoria leans heavily on our amazing volunteer base to act as on-site Gingerbread Ambassadors, interacting with visitors of the event and helping with donations and information about the creations and Habitat’s purpose.
Professional and home bakers alike spend hundreds of hours interpreting the Showcase theme each year. In dozens of creative ways and with edible materials of all kinds. They’ll be vying for top honours in the following categories:
Best first impression
Best use of skill & technique
Best interpretation of the theme
Most creative and original
Most diverse use of ingredients
The People’s Choice Award – as determined by Showcase visitor voting
Each creation must follow the theme of the year, be made 100% entirely edible ingredients, fit on a base of 2’ x 2’, and be at least 18'“ tall. We are astounded by the creativity of these bakers each and every year
The theme for 2024’s Gingerbread Showcase is Through a Child’s Eyes.
Think: the creativity, wonder, and unique perspective that children bring to the world.
Children perceive their surroundings, experiences, and relationships in magical, imaginative, and optimistic ways. A key element of this theme is the role of family in shaping these perceptions, providing a foundation of love, security, and learning.
Volunteers Wanted for 2024
The Gingerbread Showcase is fast approaching and we need YOUR help! Once again hosted at the fantastic Hotel Grand Pacific, we look forward to welcoming the many visitors who come out to view and vote for their favourite creation. This iconic Victoria holiday event features local professional and at-home bakers building imaginative gingerbread creations, all in support of Habitat Victoria.
The show runs daily from 9 am to 9 pm from Friday, November 22, 2024, through Saturday, January 4th, 2025. Shifts are 3 hours long, with 2-3 ambassadors per shift. Sign up for as many as you like.
Volunteer ambassadors help greet guests, encourage them to vote and donate for their favourite, and spread the holiday cheer.
This event would not be possible without the help of our friends in the community
Presenting Sponsor
Venue Sponsor
Volunteer Sponsor
Media Sponsors
Spice Sponsors
Sugar Sponsors
Community Sponsors
Check out some of the 2024 showcase creations below!
#1 Green Thumbs from Outer Space - Created By: Jude Somers - What was your inspiration? Science fiction has fascinated me since I was young so I imagined how first contact with a classic UFO might appear to these children.
#2 Gingerbread Giftopia - Created By: Michelle Thut & Jennifer Dumont - What was your inspiration? Our gingerbread creation was inspired by the wonder of a child’s first look at a Christmas tree piled high with presents. For Michelle, it brought back memories of her sons on Christmas morning, their faces lighting up in awe. We wanted to capture that magic—the excitement of unwrapping gifts and the joy of the season. This creation celebrates the innocence, imagination, and pure joy that comes with Christmas, reminding us all of the beauty seen through a child’s eyes.
#3 Midnight Mischief - Created By: Selena Oliveira - What was your inspiration? Deep within the heart of every Christmas home, where sugar plums dance and stockings hang with eager anticipation, something magical stirs on Christmas Eve. As the clock strikes midnight, the Elf on the Shelf has one last hurrah before making their final report to Santa. I know a lot of you have these special Christmas family members and I thought it would be fun to celebrate how magical it is for kids to wake up in the morning see what Elf has gotten into.
#4 I-Spy Tree House - Created By: Cathy Wakil and Lise de Moissac - What was your inspiration? This year’s theme, ‘Through a Child’s Eyes’, inspired us to create a treehouse reminiscent of the West Coast environment and building style. We also used the classic game I-Spy to make the display interactive. There are a variety of common (and not so common) objects hidden in the house and on the grounds.
#5 Wonderland - Created By: Veronica and Alyssa Norman - What was your inspiration? The idea that no matter what a child sees their perspective, experiences and imagination give life to something uniquely their own. Anything can be anything and that's a beautiful way to see the world.
#6 Can't see the tree for the presents... - Created By: The Wrapperz - What was your inspiration? As a young child I woke one Christmas morning to find it had snowed! If that wasn't wondrous enough, when I got to the living room it seemed that the presents stretched from the door all the way to the tree at the other end of the room. I'll never forget feeling pure awe and excitement. It wasn't the best Christmas ever, Christmas is about more than a room full of gifts, but the wonder of that scene has never left me. We hope everyone's holiday season, however they celebrate, is as magical.
#7 The Land of Wonders - Created By: Fabian Martinez - What was your inspiration? My main inspiration was children's imagination, how they see the world in a magical and special way. The imagination that flies after hearing a fairy tale or some story. I think that as adults we have a lot to learn from seeing the world as children do, maybe the world would be a better place.
#8 Our Global Community - Created By: St Margaret's School - The Red Blazers - What was your inspiration? We were inspired by the experiences we have when we’re learning outdoors, when we try new things that once scared us like kayaking and zip-lining. It’s rewarding to be able to support each other to explore new things, to be creative and to take risks. When we are learning outside, there’s a spirit of adventure and curiosity, that is a big part of being at this school. It’s a celebration of the way we push each other to grow, create, and work together as a community at St. Margaret’s School.
#9 Story Time - Created By: September’s Hearth (Mel and Sheena) - What was your inspiration? We are both avid readers and book lovers. We have been ever since we were kids. From the fantasy worlds created in fiction to the opening up of possibilities and new ways to explore our own world with non-fiction, the possibilities are endless.
#10 Santa's Castle - Created By: Amy Donnelly - What was your inspiration? Santa's castle is a magical place where Christmas comes alive. In this enchanted place, toys are crafted by busy elves, and the air sparkles with holiday joy. The sound of jingling bells fills the air as reindeer prepare for their night of gift-giving, and every corner brims with the warm glow of festive cheer. To a child, it’s not just a place—it’s a dream, where every twinkling light and every wrapped gift is a piece of the magic that makes Christmas unforgettable.
#11 Base Camp - Created By: Power To Be - What was your inspiration? Everyone belongs in nature, and Power To Be's Prospect Lake site creates a sense of place for participants and their families to explore what's possible while building deeper connections with nature and community. Power To Be's Prospect Lake site has become a source of healing, infinite discovery, and unconditional belonging; we had found a sense of place, and with that, a home. We were inspired to make this home into a gingerbread base camp and were able to include our participants and staff!
#12 Rawr! - Created By: Nando Castillo and Kailan Ma - Parkwood Place - What was your inspiration? Childhood imagination through toys.
#13 Boundless Imagination - Created By: Sarah Rachel Hoffman - What was your inspiration? Ultimately, I was inspired by a child's imagination. Anything is possible through a child's eyes. This piece is what my childhood self would see. A child is full of so much life, which means a vibrant & colourful piece a must. It also needed to be a lot of fun! I want you to make you smile! To me, the imagination is very dreamy. Realism is needed to provide a general idea, but the added abstract & unrealistic components, like the gum paste flowers and meringues add that dreaminess.
#14 Co-op Candy Shoppe - Created By: Peninsula Co-op - What was your inspiration? We were inspired by our youngest customers! The children that come into our stores are often excited and jumping for joy around the idea of getting their favourite treats while out running errands with their parents. Children don't see a Peninsula Co-op location and think "gas stations" or "convenience store" they see CANDY! So we wanted to create something fun, vibrant and youthful!
#15 The Mitten - Created By: Team Pax – Nancy N, Nicole P, Anita P, Tami W - What was your inspiration? A Ukrainian folktale “The Mitten”. A sweet, imaginative tale of what might happen when children lose their mittens. A young boy drops one of his mittens (knitted by his Baba) on a cold winter day. One by one, forest animals come across the mitten and it becomes a cozy little home. The mitten bulges and frays, but everyone makes room for each other. A giant bear squeezes inside, stretching it to its very limits, but the mitten continues to hold until a mouse sneezes and everything flies apart.
#16 Toy Mountain: Kids Helping Kids - Created By: 107.3 Virgin Radio - What was your inspiration? Our annual fundraiser, Toy Mountain. Every year, members of the community help us raise funds and donate gifts to CFAX Santa's Anonymous to ensure every child has something to open on Christmas Day. Every year, we are most inspired by the kids who step up to help each other.
#17 Christmas at Home - Created By: Amy Rice - What was your inspiration? The theme “Through a Child’s Eyes” made me think of childhood nostalgia and how I remember Christmas as a kid. For me, Christmas is remembered as exciting, decorative and warm. I tried to illustrate that feeling with the colourful house set against all white surroundings.
#18 Christmas Tree - Family Tradition - Created By: Lynn/Gates Family - What was your inspiration? The holiday season always came to life for our family when the Christmas tree was selected and brought home. From my own childhood to my children and now to my grandchildren this has remained a special family tradition - going to find our perfect Christmas tree. We have made many fond memories on our quest - driving to the tree farms, searching for the perfect tree from so many, debating size and shape, warming up with a mug of hot chocolate afterwards and enjoying the festive season together.
#19 Dewdrop Lane - Created By: APAT Inspections - Ali and Marbel - What was your inspiration? How children can imagine a magical world anywhere
#20 Reading Makes it Real - Created By: Lifelong Readers: Pat Bourke and Kathleen Gros - What was your inspiration? Books were an essential element of my childhood and reading to and with our kids opened their eyes to many wonderful adventures peopled by fantastic characters. Our children were and remain avid readers.
#21 The Power of Imagination - Created By: Jessica Hoehne - What was your inspiration? Children always have a unique perspective which is rarely more obvious than when they play and use their imagination. It was my hope to capture a snapshot of what an afternoon of adventure might look like to us and also through the eyes of a child. While adults see a little boy swinging a plunger at his toy dragon, in the world of imagination it is so much more. The little boy is actually a knight, the family pets are his sidekicks (or an alien), and the story is always growing.
#22 The Hockey Rink - Created By: Bayside Middle School Home Economics - Alex S, Ryder H, Dylan D - What was your inspiration? Not only is it a dream of ours, but it is also the Canadian Dream to have a hockey rink in our front yard, so we can play hockey every day with our friends and family. We also have the magic of Christmas with our tall tree, candy path, and cute marshmallow snowmen. The gingerbread houses represent the friendship of close neighbours who might enjoy playing a friendly game of hockey.
#23 Rainbow Connection - Created By: Ace and Jess - What was your inspiration? Everyone has a comfort they turn to when in need of a dose of nostalgia and laughter. For us, that's The Muppets; a show that's been entertaining children of all ages for decades. We wanted to get in touch with our inner children with this piece, so we reimagined Kermit's "Rainbow Connection" by giving his swamp an upgrade to the iconic Beacon Hill Park. This song also holds a special place in our hearts, encouraging everyone to be who they are and follow to their dreams.
#24 Off to Neverland - Created By: Jaclyn Ellis - What was your inspiration? There are so many ideas rolling around for inspiration when it comes to through a child's eyes. I tend to be a nostalgic person, so naturally Neverland comes to mind. It encompasses so many things that speak to a child's imagination. Who doesn't love Pirates, Mermaids, and running through the forest with friends?
#25 Doritos Island Candy Room - Created By: Mom and daughter duo, Ashley and Charlotte - What was your inspiration? What if a candy-crazed kid was an interior designer? Welcome to Doritos Island! Peer through magical gingerbread glasses and follow the Doritos path up to a colourful candy-filled dream, with bubble gum pillows and a chocolate desk, a sugar beanbag chair, and a sprinkle ball pit complete with candystrap slide! Snack on the sugar dots adorning the walls, while listening to Taylor's 1989 album on your caramel stereo! Say hi to the gummy sharks and turtles swimming in the vanilla frosting sea! Yum!
#27 I Spy… - Created By: Team Wonder - Sluggye, Danielle, Carol, Todd and Ginger - What was your inspiration? Our son and teammate. Kids have a unique way of seeing the world. They look closely and see things adults often miss. I Spy... * A pencil * A paperclip * A fish * A key and keyhole * 7 clams * 4 raisins * A mitten * A Domino
#29 The Christmas House - Created By: Swallowfield Bakery - Heather Boeur - What was your inspiration? Everything a child would like to see at Christmas.
#30 Ginger Snap Haven - Created By: Irene's Bakery - Chef Deepak Yadav - What was your inspiration? My Sr. Chef who taught me everything and always inspired me to be creative.
#31 A Forest of Stars - Created By: 100.3 The Q! and The Zone @ 91-3 - What was your inspiration? Walking through a forest at night when the sky is dark and the stars are bright. In a child's eyes the stars shine through everything and imagination can create a forest of stars.
#32 Trees a Crowd - Created By: Urban Systems - What was your inspiration? Our office's childhood memories of Christmas.
#33 Adventures with Skiddles and Friends - Created By: BC Girls Rock - What was your inspiration? My inspiration is my dog Skiddles! She is a Pomeranian Papillon full of life and has so many friends and family that love her. When I see her with the children and other pets playing It take the imagination to a whole other level. Mira and Macie are a part of my Family, old man Mr Burly is actually a schnauzer, but I thought he would make a great train conductor, John John is a big hearted German shepherd, and Miss Alice is my soul sister’s kitty, Miss Mary-Mae xo