This Saturday, Wekiva Island will be closed until 5:00 p.m. for our annual Fall Egg Fest. We’d love for you to join the fun—grab your ticket and be part of the festivities. After 5:00 p.m., the Island will reopen and welcome guests as usual.
If you’ve ever been to Wekiva Island in December, you know it can be pretty magical. Thousands of twinkling lights, a Christmas Tree Forest, regular “snow” flurries floating through the colorful lights…it’s mesmerizing.
But what you might not know from just grabbing a drink riverside with us is all the work and special details we put into this event every year.
I’m Carrie Vanderhoef, a manager at the Island and the mastermind behind Winter Wonderland. Every year, when I have a chance, I stand back and look at our display, and I feel overwhelming pride in the magic we’re able to bring to children and adults alike in Central Florida.
Today, I wanted to share with you a few of the special details we have at Winter Wonderland this year.
Our family is from western New York. After spending so many years in Florida, it’s true—we miss the snow. That’s why we work hard to make sure your time at the Island is punctuated with “snow” flurries, falling from the sky. We want all the kids who visit to have a small taste of what it’s like to run through the snowflakes as they fall. We also make sure to really deck out the Island with lights and décor to bring a truly magical feel. Stop by—I know you’ll feel a taste of our family’s home!
At the Island, we have a ton of funky décor—most of it with a great story. That is still true during Winter Wonderland! Every year, we bring up an old stove that normally graces the Tooting Otter Craft Beer & Wine Bar, and we allow Mrs. Claus to use it in her bakery at Santa’s Workshop. The stove actually came from an old squatter’s cabin on the river. Gary, who owns our food truck, Without a Paddle Café, was given it ages ago and allowed us to use it. It’s a fun piece of river history!
In another area of Santa’s Workshop is a piece that’s especially close to my family’s heart. The desk in Santa’s office was my Bampa’s (grandfather’s) at Niagara Mohawk. Because Wekiva Island is a family business, that means it was also Billy’s (our manager) and Robbie’s (one of our bartender) Bampa’s desk, as well as Bill’s (our owner) father’s desk. We allow Santa to use it during his time at Wekiva Island—he is a VIP, after all! I love that our family’s history can be tied into the Island’s story.
Of course, we aim to make everything about Winter Wonderland unique and special. There are many details to see and enjoy. Some of my favorites this year are the incredible wrapped present wall, which was made possible by a group of our regulars. We also have Santa’s driver’s license on display—under glass this year, since a naughty person stole it last year! A new detail this year is an hourglass in Santa’s office. In one Christmas story, it’s said that every child has an hourglass at the North Pole, and it turns toward naughty or nice as the year goes on. We’re always incorporating new, fun details like this to make our event even more magical. Winter Wonderland is truly a labor of love for me and all of our Wekiva Island staff. We love this holiday season, and whether you attend a special event like Breakfast with Santa or Stories with Mrs. Claus or just stop by for a drink and some cheer, we hope you leave feeling full of the spirit.
This Saturday, Wekiva Island will be closed until 5:00 p.m. for our annual Fall Egg Fest. We’d love for you to join the fun—grab your ticket and be part of the festivities. After 5:00 p.m., the Island will reopen and welcome guests as usual.
Join Wekiva Island and 3 Daughters Brewing this Saturday for a seafood feast benefiting the Central Florida Zoo. Enjoy a pound of jumbo shrimp, clams, corn, potatoes, sausage, and three pours of beer, all for $45!