The Homestead Winter Wonderland Has Arrived

On Saturday evening, Nov. 22, Losner Park in downtown Homestead was packed with an early holiday crowd eager to celebrate the opening of Winter Wonderland.

Whether ice skating on real ice, taking pictures with Mrs. Santa Claus, enjoying musical and dance performances, visiting the Historic Town Hall Museum, or cheering for the lighting of the City’s Christmas Tree, it was clear that children and adults alike were having a great time.

Winter Wonderland will run through Jan. 18 with various themed events throughout the season. Access to the park, vendors, and events is free; the only cost is skating.

The ice rink measures 40 feet by 80 feet and can accommodate up to 100 skaters. The $22 fee includes up to 90 minutes of skating and rental skates.

Tickets can be purchased on-site or in advance at www.discoverhomestead.com, which also lists the rink schedule and all event information.

Pedro Reynaldos, Director of the Homestead Parks and Recreation Department, explained that by hiring temporary seasonal employees from the local area and creatively managing existing staff, the City will operate the ice rink entirely in-house.

Mayor Steve Losner, Vice Mayor Jenifer Bailey, Councilwoman Erica Avila, and City Manager Zerry Ihekwaba were joined onstage by Santa to officially light the City’s Christmas Tree.

After the tree lighting, the City Manager shared how not just Parks and Recreation, but the entire City staff — along with the Homestead Police Department under Deputy City Manager Kemarr Brown — came together to make Winter Wonderland and the skating rink happen in a spectacular way.

He noted that the project was a public–private partnership with sponsors providing funding beyond what the Mayor and Council allocated.

“This is just the beginning,” he said. “We are launching out to make things happen for Homestead. We have a yearlong program of special events to bring people into the downtown area.”

Mayor Losner described the night as “beyond my wildest imagination,” recalling how two years ago the city had only a small fake-ice rink. “We thought that was a nice try, but let’s do the real thing,” he said. “Real ice skating in Homestead — that’s the kind of thing that makes us a real hometown.”

While Winter Wonderland runs through Jan. 18, the city-owned rink is portable and can be used at other parks and events in the future.