11/11/2025
AURORA, Colo. (November 21, 2025) — Preparations are underway as the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center pastry team builds an eight-foot-tall Gingerbread Mountain Cabin set to make its debut this holiday season.
Crafted from gingerbread, icing, and candy, the life-sized cabin will use more than 2,000 pounds of ingredients, including:
• 450 pounds of gingerbread dough
• 172 pounds of flour
• 108 pounds of molasses
• 100 pounds of powdered sugar and 65 pounds of granulated sugar
• 1,000 gumballs (stretching nearly half a football field)
• Over 50 pounds of ground coconut flakes for snow
The festive display features sugar-sculpted poinsettias and holly, along with sugar and gingerbread lanterns, a cookie wreath and skis—a nod to Brielle Fratellone, executive pastry chef and head of 5280 Pastry, and her love of skiing. The project began in July 2025 with concept design, followed by engineering and construction in September, with gingerbread baking starting Oct. 1.
"This gingerbread mountain cabin is the result of months of hard work and creativity from both the pastry and engineering teams," said Fratellone. "Our pastry cooks truly enjoyed baking and decorating this edible artwork. I hope coming to see the Gingerbread Mountain Cabin becomes a yearly tradition for guests at Gaylord Rockies."
More than 25 pastry cooks are involved in the project, which will take 4.5 months from concept to completion, including six weeks of dough production and a three-day final assembly. The team even created spreadsheets to track thousands of cookies, including the 425 gingerbread shingles needed to cover the roof.
Guests will be able to enjoy the cabin up-close and smell it from across the lobby. "We keep the spices in the dough to ensure the house fills the air with a warm gingerbread aroma," Fratellone added.
The Gingerbread Mountain Cabin will be on display in the resort's main lobby from Nov. 24, 2025, through Jan. 1, 2026, and marks the second large-scale gingerbread creation from the resort's pastry team, joining the gingerbread city window display in Mistletoe Village. Each pastry cook is assigned a unique gingerbread house or building in the window display, allowing every team member to showcase their creativity and pastry artistry.
A ribbon cutting ceremony will officially unveil the Gingerbread Mountain Cabin on Nov. 24 at 10 a.m. in the resort's main lobby. Media and guests are invited to attend the celebration and be among the first to see the completed display.
More Culinary Experiences at Gaylord Rockies Resort
The gingerbread masterpiece is part of the larger Christmas at Gaylord Rockies celebration, featuring beloved and new seasonal dining experiences:
• NEW: Feast with the Grinch - A spirited dining experience hosted by everyone's favorite green and grouchy character, complete with appearances from Max and plenty of Who-ville whimsy.
• Resort Dining - Holiday menus, themed cocktails, Auntie Anne's pretzels, and Cinnabon favorites.
Gingerbread Decorating Corner - Guests can personalize their own gingerbread cookies made fresh by the Gaylord Rockies pastry team, and meet Nutmeg, the resort's jolly gingerbread man.
The dining experiences complement ICE!, Gaylord Hotels' signature holiday attraction, along with Candy Cane Mountain Indoor Snow Tubing and other festive activities. Guests are encouraged to book early, as many ticketed experiences sell out on peak weekends. For tickets, packages, overnight stays or more information, visit ChristmasatGaylordRockies.com.
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About Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center
Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, located minutes from both the Denver International Airport and Downtown Denver, offers a mix of entertainment both inside and out, creating a superior guest experience to the "Gateway to the Rockies." Guests are welcomed to the resort's 85-acre property which features breathtaking views of the Rocky Mountains. The resort's amenities include family-friendly dining, an award-winning spa and fun in the resort's Arapahoe Springs Water Park all while ending the day with picture-perfect sunset views of the mountains.
About ICE! An Immersive Christmas Experience
Gaylord Hotels' original ICE! Christmas experience immerses guests in beloved holiday stories hand-carved by master artisans from Harbin, China at resorts across the United States. Created in 2001, the ICE! attraction debuted at Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tennessee. Since then, tens of millions of visitors have traveled to experience this frozen tradition, where more than 2 million pounds of ice are transformed into memorable scenes and characters, two-story ice slides, photo-worthy tunnels and more. The ICE! Christmas showcase takes place at select resorts, including Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Md., Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tenn., Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, Fla., Gaylord Rockies Resort in Aurora, Colo., Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, Texas and at JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country in San Antonio, Texas. More information can be found at ICE.marriott.com.
