With the holidays swiftly approaching, Auburn University is full of seasonal festivities. For the past 16 years, the culinary department has upheld the tradition of a gingerbread village. This year, the village will debut on Dec. 8 in the Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center, and it will remain on display until New Year's Day.
Chefs, employees and students work for several months to put together a vibrant display of over a dozen gingerbread houses and figurines.
Preparation for gingerbread cookie production starts in September. In October, the staff starts to assemble the gingerbread buildings. After the buildings have been assembled, the staff shifts focus to the decorations.
Chef Dallas Kee works for Ithaca Hospitality Partners as the director of pastry operations. She first began working on the displays in 2018 and fell in love with the entire production.
Kee, who is now working on her sixth display, is in charge of overseeing the gingerbread village. The display, made new each year, is hand-decorated by their nine person staff in the pastry commercial kitchen.
Culinary students work alongside the nine commercial staff to complete the village. The display is set up during the culinary school's finals week, so students chip in where they can during their spare time.
Antony Osborne works as the director of culinary training and innovation at the fine dining restaurant 1856, which is also located in the culinary center. Osborne and his team work alongside Kee's team to ensure everything runs smoothly.
“I really feel like the community and bringing everyone together is the best part. As far as our team being able to work on this — it brings us closer. Then, seeing everyone come in from the community the day of the parade and really enjoy everything makes everything all feel so special,” Kee said.
The Downtown Auburn Christmas Parade takes place on Dec 8. from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., with the gingerbread village's unveiling following immediately after. For 24 days after the display's debut, the general public can visit the culinary center to view the display for free.
“It seems like the turnout is a little bit more every year. On the day of the parade last year, we had our biggest number of over a thousand people. It is right after the parade, so it plays off that,” Kee said.
The Auburn Gingerbread Village at the Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center on Dec. 7, 2024.
Iona Gordon graduated from Auburn last spring with a degree in hospitality management. Despite her recent graduation, she remains involved with the culinary school and its traditions.
Gordon took part in the 2023 display – the first year it was displayed in the Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Center. In previous years, it was presented at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center.
“I just think Auburn is great. The culinary science center is such a different family than the traditional Auburn community. You go through so much together, like labs, burning ourselves, cutting each other, messing up with each other. You gain a bigger bond with the professors, and the gingerbread is just one more special thing that we do,” Gordon said.
For many people, observing the gingerbread village's unveiling has become a tradition in their family. Freshman Claire King and her family have been going since she was little.
“I remember ever since I was a kid, my family would pack up the car and make the trek from Birmingham to Auburn. We would go to the parade and then right after go to the display. I have a little sister, and she always thought it was the coolest thing that real people made this huge display,” King said.
The village's unveiling presents an opportunity for Auburn's community members to celebrate the holiday season while showing their appreciation for the culinary center. The effort and talent poured into the gingerbread display by chefs, staff and students show that it truly takes a village to create one.
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