The Lower East Side’s Essex Market is home to the world’s largest gingerbread village, Gingerbread Lane. Gingerbread Lane has held the Guinness Book of World Records title for a number of years and hopes to hold that title once again this year. New York City has all the magical holiday events of the season, and this is the perfect display for the whole family to see!
About Chef Jon Lovitch
Gingerbread Lane is the unique and artistic vision of Chef Jon Lovitch. He uses the basement of his home in Queens as a gingerbread workshop. He works year-round in his free time, creating this magical village. To help with costs, he looks for deals on candy after all the major holidays. Candy can be expensive when crafting such a massive display. In addition to his New York City display, Chef Lovitch will be making three other iterations of Gingerbread Lane this year for Kansas City, Houston, and Philadelphia.
Chef Lovitch made his first gingerbread house in 1994 as a teenager when he was living in Kansas City. It was a fourteen-house display that he presented at a local hotel. The reactions from the guests gave him so much joy that it sparked a passion in him to keep creating these houses ever since.
Not only does Gingerbread Lane hold the title of World’s Largest Gingerbread Village, but Chef Lovitch’s masterpieces have lived in cultural institutions all over the country, from The Smithsonian Museum to Rockefeller Center.
The Magic of Gingerbread Lane
Chef Jon Lovitch drafts, designs, bakes, and constructs homemade gingerbread houses made of edible gingerbread, royal icing, and candy. The display features 700 hundred gingerbread houses, 4,000 lbs of candy, and 1,000 lbs of gingerbread.
Lovitch, a.k.a “The Gingerbread Man,” uses New York City as inspiration for his extravagant designs. Everything from the iconic brownstones, the gas lamps on city streets, and the famous street signs of the city are included in his village. Additionally, viewers will see breweries, dance studios, pizzerias, bakeries, ice cream parlors, and even an ice rink as a nod to Rockefeller Center. There are so many details local New Yorkers will appreciate.
- Gingerbread Lane will be on display on the mezzanine level at Essex Market, 88 Essex Street, New York, NY.
- Check out Chef Lovitch’s magnificent work of gingerbread art from now until January 7th, 2024.
If you’re looking for something magical (and free!) to do this holiday season in New York City, head down to the Lower East Side to see Gingerbread Lane. This annual display is one you won’t want to miss! And remember to call EMRG Media for all your New York City event planning needs!
