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From nutcrackers to snowmen and donut shops to department stores, the Guinness World Record–holding gingerbread village, GingerBread Lane is back once more for the holiday season in New York City. With 700 gingerbread structures, the newest installment of GingerBread Lane is now on display in Chelsea for all to admire, and it's free to visit.
This year's village pays tribute to New York City's roots with gingerbread subways, a yellow taxi cab and a nod to the 34th Street Macy's store. As a celebration of the city's diversity, GingerBread Lane creator Jon Lovitch has included a gingerbread house for everyone—featuring spots like a matzo ball shop, a halal restaurant and gingerbread dreidels.
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Lovitch first started GingerBread Lane 32 years ago, shortly after graduating from high school in the '90s. Back then, it was a much smaller display and served as a "side hustle" for Lovitch while he worked full-time as an executive chef. As the years went on, GingerBread Lane got bigger and bigger—both physically and in popularity.
"About 11 years ago, I was like, 'I can't keep doing both [being a chef and making GingerBread Lane]. I have to pick one or the other,'" Lovitch tells Time Out. "So I picked the fun one." Now, Lovitch dedicates his time completely to the project. For him, Christmas never really ends; he spends nearly every day planning, baking and building, starting work on the next year’s batch of houses just weeks after the current one is unveiled.
Lovitch's own family sometimes makes a cameo in the gingerbread town. This year, his seven-year-old daughter even has a toy shop named after her. "I try to incorporate things that I like into the exhibit," Lovitch says. While shopping at a Hobby Lobby with his wife one day, he spotted a set of nutcrackers that inspired him. "I thought, 'that's a really pretty nutcracker,' and bam, it's in the exhibit."
The candy cane shop, he says, was inspired by a Christmas village he saw in Connecticut "I'm constantly taking pictures—I have a folder on my phone just called GingerBread Lane ideas." This year's display also features a Thanksgiving café and a coffee shop dedicated purely to pumpkin spice.
What's kept Lovitch going after 32 years? Really, it's the people, he says. The ones who stop to take in every detail, who light up at the sight of it, who snap photos and videos, or even just pause for a moment to look. "There's so much bad stuff going on in the world and to know you're creating a nice little escapist-quality sort of thing feels great," he says.
You can see GingerBread Lane on display now at the Starrett-Lehigh Building (601 West 26th Street), next to Olly Olly Market. And as a special treat to celebrate this year's GingerBread Lane exhibit, Lovitch will once again host gingerbread-making classes on December 14, 17 and 20 at Olly Olly Market in Chelsea. Tickets will be $35 per person; check back soon for a link to purchase.