Holiday Fun for Everyone at
Winterfest 2021 by Darien Hardy
I
t’s never too early to get into the holiday spirit, and for more than two decades Winterfest has provided a late November kickoff to the yuletide season. Winterfest returns to Plaza Wonderland at 223 South Palafox Place in downtown Pensacola this holiday season from November 19 through December 24. This year’s event kicks off with the arrival of Santa Claus and the Grinch, both of whom will be available for pictures. Each weekend throughout November and December, the streets of downtown Pensacola will come alive, and the entrance of the downtown courthouse will transform into the magical Plaza Wonderland, providing locals and visitors alike the opportunity to experience the magic of the season.
Photos with Santa
Photos with the Grinch
This year, Winterfest organizers have set up a new online reservation system that will allow guests to preschedule a time slot to have their photos taken with Santa and the Grinch as well as the trolley tours. Reservations can be made online at pensacolawinterfest.org. Photos with Santa will be a little different this year, too.
Santa Claus is coming to town and will be available for pictures after each trolley tour. Professional photos will be available for purchase and guests are welcome to bring their personal cameras to take pictures or video during their visit. Children can also bring their Christmas letters to give to the jolly man himself, or they can drop them off in mailboxes that will be stationed throughout the event space.
Mr. Grinch sure is a mean one, but Santa’s favorite nemesis is begrudgingly allowing Winterfest guests to invade his space for a photo or two.
“Santa photos are remaining socially distanced just like last year. Children will be seated on gift boxes and can talk to Santa who will be sitting in his sleigh. This worked so well last year that we will not go back to the good old days of children in the sleigh on Santa’s lap. Adults can get in the photo, too, so now the photos are for the whole family,” Winterfest Board President, Denise Daughtry said.
Santa and his elves will also host a special holiday cookie competition. Guests are invited to bring six individually wrapped homemade cookies—along with a copy of the recipe, their name, email and phone number—to be voted on by Santa and his Elves. Winners will be selected each week and will receive two tickets to ride the Winterfest train and have their recipe featured in Mrs. Claus’s very own recipe book.
In addition to special performances by Gulf Breeze and Washington High School drama students, there will be three themed trolley tours and a special Cajun Christmas performance starring Papa Noel (also known as the Cajun Santa Claus).
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December 1–20, Fridays and Saturdays 4:30 pm–8:30 pm | December 21–24, 4:30 pm–8:30pm (ends at 7:30 pm on Christmas Eve)
December 1–20, Fridays and Saturdays 4:30 pm–8:30 pm | December 21–24, 4:30 pm–8:30 pm (ends at 7:30 pm on Christmas Eve)
Guests will meet the Grinch at his throne behind Santa’s sleigh. Unlike Santa, he likes to ask children what they don’t want for Christmas. Guests should take caution, as Mr. Grinch has some tricks up his sleeve and has a special lever that can launch guests out of their seats.
