Now in its fourth season, Catalina Island Company’s holiday tradition of building and displaying custom gingerbread creations in Shops at the Atwater has grown to include five unique designs that were baked and assembled by Island Company culinary staff and are currently on display in five locations in Avalon and Two Harbors.
Called the “Gingerbread Collection,” these structures are designed to celebrate the history and culture of Catalina Island. “We wanted to do something special this holiday season to commemorate our 125th anniversary and Wrigley Centennial year, so our team came up with some great designs that depict island life, both past and present,” said Randy Herrel, President and CEO of Catalina Island Company.
The first Island Company gingerbread creation debuted in 2016. Titled “Santa’s Sweet Sailing Ship,” it featured a 10-foot rowboat and a life-size replica of the jolly old salt himself. That was followed in 2017 by “Kris Kringle and His Cookie-Covered Casino,” which incorporated more than 600 pounds of ingredients. Last year the Island Company paid tribute to the Catalina Chimes Tower with a replica of the historic hillside tower that is currently being restored by the Catalina Chimes Tower Foundation.
“My staff and I have enjoyed coming up with fun designs in the past,” said Island Company Executive Chef Roberto Hernandez. “This year we went all out with five different structures in five locations around Avalon and Two Harbors.”
One of this year’s designs pays tribute to historic Hotel St. Catherine, which was considered one of the finest hotels on the West Coast when it opened on June 8, 1918. On display in the lobby of the newly-renovated Hotel Atwater, this edible edifice was made with 120 lbs. of flour, 200 lbs. of sugar, 23 dozen eggs, and a pound each of ginger and cinnamon. It’s decorated with eight lbs. of assorted candies.
The “Gingerbread Collection” also includes a replica of Mt. Ada, which is on display at the real Mt. Ada, as well as a “Villa Park Bungalette,” which can be seen at Pavilion Hotel. In the early 1920s and ‘30s, more than 1,200 8’ x 10’ wooden bungalettes occupied much of the flats in Avalon Canyon, creating what was then referred to as “the world’s largest one-floor hotel.”
“Santa’s Sweet Sailboat,” on display at Avalon Grille across from the harbor and Green Pier, pays tribute to all the sailors and seafarers who have visited Catalina Island over the centuries, from the ancient Pimu Indians to 16th century Spanish explorers to present day mariners from the mainland.
At Harbor Reef Restaurant in Two Harbors, the “South Seas Palapa” gives a nod to all the South Seas-themed movies that were filmed in and around Two Harbors in the 1930s, like Mutiny on the Bounty, which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1932.
You can get a glimpse of Catalina Island Company’s Gingerbread Collection through the end of December.
