Once again the Gingerbread Spectacular at the Opera House at Boothbay Harbor lived up to its name.

Twenty-nine gingerbread creations were delivered to the Opera House on Friday, Dec. 12, and the doors opened to the public on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. Over the course of two days more than 1,000 people came to view the spectacular and magical sweet displays.

The houses, cabins, tall buildings, churches and any number of other structures and scenes were on display through Sunday, and hundreds of wide-eyed spectators were there to be amazed and delighted by their grandeur.

In its seventh year, the event has grown from a few small gingerbread houses to an all-out extravaganza of beautiful, funny and simply awesome displays.

Opera House Director Cathy Sherrill and her right-hand man, local musician, teacher and set designer Kevin Kiley, did all the the planning and decorating for the event, and they went above and beyond expectations.

The interior of the Opera House was alight with decorated Christmas trees, gingerbread men and women and tiny white lights, and the stage was a lit up in purple for musicians and singers to entertain the attendees.

Kiley, a piano teacher in his other life, played Christmas songs on the piano, and five of his students also performed piano pieces. Among the performers were: Reagan Cola, Peggy Powis, Diane Randlett, Tincy Olson and Mason Erhard, who performed a duet with his mom, Kerrin Cheever.

Upon entering the event one of the things people first noticed were the icicles hanging down the front of all the tables holding the gingerbread houses. Kiley was the artist behind the white sewn fabric icicles.

“Kevin does most of the decorating. Every year he does a little more,” Sherrill said.

The gingerbread man (or person) showed up to wow the kids on Saturday. Most were enchanted, but Pear Ragsdale found him a little intimidating.

Twelve winners and one new category, “Best Wildlife Scene” were chosen by the four judges on Friday night. This year the judges were Sally Barter, Trish Harrison, Kelly Robbins and Wendy Bellows.

“Wendy and Sally have built gingerbread houses before, and Wendy has been a ‘Most Spectacular’ winner, but Trish and Kelly had never been to the event before, so they were completely were blown away,” Sherrill said.

Carly Crewell took the prize for “Most Spectacular” display for her sparkling “White Christmas Cottage” scene. It was her second time taking first prize, the last being two years ago.

“It's a labor of love,” she said. “It was a concept I had in my mind, and I drew it on paper first.” For the past two years she has driven 325 miles from her home near Albany, New York. But she moved here permanently this summer. “I live right next door to the Opera House now.”

The region's new cake lady, Trish Moroz, took second place, or “Almost Most Spectacular” with her “Starlight House” that she claims to have “whipped up in a rush.” As indicated in the story about her new business in Boothbay, her cakes are really something to behold.

Sherrill said that Nancy Stoddard's Ocean Point Chapel was the one "Most People Want to Take Home" as it received the greatest number of bids.

Other winners were:

People's Choice: The Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library

Most Creative: Margaret Hoffman

Best Wildlife Scene: Shantell Perry

Best Holiday Spirit: Susan Brackett

Best Traditional Gingerbread House Design: Caitlin Brackett

Largest: Mike Marr and the Boothbay Register

Best Representation of a Local Landmark: Nancy Stoddard

Most Ingredients Used: Jim and Nikki Main & family

Best Attempt: Heather and Jasper Orne & family

Most Obsessive Compulsive: Michaela Marden

Best Landscaping: The Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library

Most Hilarious: Jim Gagnon

Click here for more photos of the 2014 Gingerbread Spectacular.