Peddler's Village Gingerbread Entries Are Due Wednesday, Nov. 11

By Nick Rau | Bucks Co. & Beyond Daily | November 9, 2026

Anyone with a steady hand and a bag of icing has until Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, to enter the 42nd annual Gingerbread Competition at Peddler's Village, and it costs nothing to enter. The contest has been a Peddler's Village holiday tradition since 1984, and its own entry page invites all members of the public to take part.

Note from Nick: If your family builds a gingerbread house every year anyway, this is the year to put it in front of judges and the whole holiday crowd in Lahaska.

The appeal is easy to see. More than 100 entries usually fill the Visitor & Event Center, judged by experts for cash prizes, and the public gets a vote too. Every entry goes on display starting Friday, Nov. 20, the same night Santa and Mrs. Claus flip the switch on the Village lights at 6:15 p.m. Admission to the display is free.

The categories and the prizes

Amateurs can enter one creation per category and can enter more than one category, with one form for each entry. Here are the categories with posted prize tables, according to the Village's 2026 rules:

• Traditional Holiday Gingerbread House: any structure, from Victorian or colonial to a barn or cottage, decorated for the holidays. First place is $300.
• Incredibly Unusual 3-Dimensional Gingerbread Creation: sculpted pieces out of the ordinary, with no buildings or houses allowed. First place is $300.
• Edible Americana: a holiday take on American places and traditions, like a small-town Main Street, a ballpark or a favorite diner. First place is $300.
• Teen (ages 12 to 17) and Youth (ages 9 to 11): a traditional holiday dream house built from candy and treats. First place is $100 in each.
• Kids, ages 8 and under: first place is a $100 Giggleberry Fair gift card.
• Professional: anyone who has ever been paid for decorating or creating baked goods enters here, with one entry per professional. First place is $325.

The entry page's theme list also names Nostalgic Lights & Silent Nights and Holly Jolly; confirm current prize details on the Village site before entering under those themes.

Judges score each entry from 1 to 5 on overall appearance, holiday spirit, originality and use of materials, difficulty and how well it fits its category. Kids, youth and teens may have a parent, guardian or teacher supervise for safety, but the work has to be their own.

Key dates

• Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026: completed entry forms are due. There is no fee.
• Sunday, Nov. 15: bring your finished piece to Peddler's Village between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Week of Nov. 16: judging.
• By Friday, Nov. 20: winners posted on the Peddler's Village website.
• Nov. 20 to Dec. 5: People's Choice voting. The winner, announced Dec. 8, receives a $300 Peddler's Village Dining & Lodging gift card.
• Through Jan. 9, 2027: entries must stay on display to remain eligible for prizes.
• Jan. 10 and 11, 2027: pickup of entries and prizes, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

One rule worth reading twice: if you take your piece home before the display closes, you give up this year's prize and your eligibility for next year, and the Village can remove any entry that starts to look worn. Build something that can hold up for seven weeks.

Make a night of Nov. 20

The Grand Illumination Celebration runs from 4:30 to 10 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20, with local music and dance performers before the lights come on at 6:15 p.m. sharp. Admission and parking are free, and shops stay open until 10 p.m. The Village asks guests who want to see the lighting to arrive by 5:30 p.m. because parking can fill up, and it advises leaving dogs at home. The lights stay on every evening through Jan. 18, 2027.

For the display itself, the Village's event page suggests weekday visits when you can, since weekend lines run long. Strollers stay outside, food and drink aren't allowed, and nothing on display can be touched.

Quick answers

When is the Peddler's Village gingerbread entry deadline in 2026? Completed entry forms are due Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. Entering is free.

When do gingerbread entries get dropped off? On Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Peddler's Village.

When can I see the gingerbread display? From Nov. 20, 2026, into January 2027 in the Visitor & Event Center. Admission is free.

Where is Peddler's Village? At Route 202 and Street Road in Lahaska, Bucks County, PA 18931.

If you're exploring the area, my Buckingham guide, my New Hope guide and my Bucks County neighborhood guides are good places to start.

From Nick

I'm Nick Rau with the Rarity Real Estate Team, ranked in the Top 1% of agents nationally (RealTrends 2025, individual), and I live right here in Bucks County. Questions about Buckingham or New Hope? Call (215) 593-7498 or email [email protected].

Rarity Real Estate Team, 1100 N Delaware Ave Suite A, Philadelphia, PA 19125 · (215) 593-7498 · [email protected]

Photo: "Christmas ** Gingerbread House" by Theo Crazzolara / Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY 2.0. Illustrative photograph taken Dec. 8, 2017; it is a gingerbread house, not a Peddler's Village entry and not taken at Peddler's Village. Cropped and naturally darkened, with text added, for the cover and featured image; no scenery added or removed. No endorsement is implied.

Reporting checked November 9, 2026. Primary sources: Peddler's Village Gingerbread Competition entry rules, Gingerbread Competition & Display event page and Grand Illumination Celebration event page. Details can change; check the Village's site before you go.

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