The 14th annual Gingerbread Village opens to the public at noon on Friday, November 27, 2026, inside the Art Center at 420 West Main Street in Blue Ridge, Georgia. It stays open whenever the Art Center is open until noon on Tuesday, December 22. Visitors vote for two People’s Choice awards.
Dates come from Light Up Blue Ridge and hours from The Art Center as of October 17, 2026. Dates can change; confirm with the Art Center at (706) 632-2144 before you go. The organizer does not list an admission price.
When you can see it
| Day | Art Center hours |
|---|---|
| Tuesday to Saturday | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Sunday | 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Monday | Closed |
- Opens: noon, Friday, November 27 (Blue Friday).
- Last chance: before noon, Tuesday, December 22.
- Then: the Art Center closes for its Christmas break from December 23 to January 10.
The sources do not quite agree on the run. The Art Center’s 2026 schedule lists the village from November 21 to December 22, and the organizer’s letter to contestants says houses are on display in a classroom from November 21 to December 20. The organizer’s home page gives noon on November 27 as the public opening, and its gingerbread page says the village is open until noon on December 22. We use noon November 27 to noon December 22. If you are in town for Light Up weekend, the village is open both days, and our Light Up Blue Ridge page has the rest of the schedule.
How the voting works
There are two People’s Choice awards, one for grades 4 through 12 and one for adults. The organizer says People’s Choice voting closes at noon on December 22, and also that People’s Choice winners are announced on Monday, December 21. Those two dates do not line up, so vote before December 21 to be safe.
The judged awards come earlier. Winners are posted on Facebook on Sunday, November 22 and announced at the tree lighting on Saturday, November 28.
How many houses will there be? The organizer has not said for 2026. Its home page reported 62 houses for the 2025 village.
Entering a house in 2026
The contest page lives on the Light Up Blue Ridge site, and the Art Center’s schedule lists it as the Blue Ridge Business Association’s Gingerbread Village. If you want to enter, the dates on the gingerbread page are tight:
- Categories: Business, Adult, High School, Middle School, Pre-School & Kindergarten, Elementary grades 1-3 and Elementary grades 4-5.
- Bases can be no larger than 12 by 12 inches.
- Entry forms are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, November 13.
- Drop-off is Friday, November 20, from 2 to 5 p.m.
- Pick-up is December 22 between 10 a.m. and noon. The contestant letter calls that day a Monday, but December 22, 2026 is a Tuesday.
The building, and what else is inside
The Art Center is the Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association’s home in the historic Fannin County Courthouse, built around 1937 and given to the association after the new courthouse was finished in 2004 (The Art Center). Do not confuse it with the current courthouse and county offices at 400 West Main.
The Art Center’s Annual Holiday Market runs in the same building from November 20 to December 20, with special dates on December 5 and 12 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., so you can see the houses and shop the market in one stop.
Make a day of it
The village is an easy indoor stop with children, especially on a cold or wet afternoon. Pair it with Santa in the downtown park on Light Up weekend (see Santa in Blue Ridge), or browse Christmas with kids and free things to do for more ideas. Every dated event of the season is on the holiday calendar.
Questions people ask
When is the Blue Ridge Gingerbread Village open in 2026?
It opens to the public at noon on November 27 inside the Arts Center and stays open whenever the Arts Center is open until noon on December 22, 2026.
Source: Light Up Blue Ridge, checked Oct 17, 2026
Where is the Gingerbread Village in Blue Ridge?
Inside the Art Center (Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association) at 420 West Main Street in Blue Ridge. The phone is (706) 632-2144.
Source: The Art Center (BRMAA), checked Oct 17, 2026
How do I vote in the Gingerbread Village People's Choice?
Visitors vote for two People's Choice awards, one for grades 4 through 12 and one for adults. Voting closes at noon on December 22.
Source: Light Up Blue Ridge, checked Oct 17, 2026
How do I enter a house in the Blue Ridge gingerbread contest?
Entry forms are due by 5 p.m. Friday, November 13. Houses are dropped off Friday, November 20, from 2 to 5 p.m., on a base no larger than 12 by 12 inches.
Source: Light Up Blue Ridge, checked Oct 17, 2026
Is the Art Center open between Christmas and New Year's?
No. The Art Center is closed for Christmas break from December 23 to January 10.
Source: BRMAA 2026 schedule, checked Oct 17, 2026
