Enchant Christmas prepares to open its doors for their second year in St. Petersburg.
Courtesy of Enchant Christmas
By Adriana Reeves and Sofía García Vargas
Enchant Christmas is ready to spread holiday cheer and light up St. Petersburg with the “world’s largest Christmas light maze.”
From Nov. 26 through Jan. 2, Tropicana Field will transform into a world of joy and magic.
This year’s theme, The Mischievous Elf, will serve as the second in a series of five adventures. After a mischievous elf named Eddie runs off with a few presents, it is up to guests to help retrieve them.
Kevin Johnston, Founder and CEO of Enchant Christmas, said that he is excited for the return of this year’s festivities.
“I can’t tell you how much it means to us to be returning to Tampa Bay this year,” Johnston said. “Providing magical Christmas experiences is at the heart of what we do, and I know I am definitely ready to go back out and celebrate the festivities with my family, and I can imagine many of our guests feel exactly the same way.”
Nancy Hutson, General Manager of Enchant Christmas St. Petersburg, shares Johnston’s excitement after having to cancel last year’s event.
“It’s so exciting. It’s been a really hard year,” Hutson said in an interview with The Crow’s Nest. “People are really excited that we are coming back, there is just so much energy around it.”
New to Enchant Christmas is the Magical Night Sky, an animated recreation of the North Pole night sky that features synchronized lights dancing across the stadium dome. Also included are ice skating, a Christmas Market and their infamous light maze.
Visitors can also stop by Santa’s Landing to share their Christmas wishes and snap a picture with Santa himself.
“One of the things that I think is going to be my favorite part is the Christmas Village. We have 30 different vendors that are selling all sorts of interesting artisan crafts and Christmas giftware,” Hutson said. “It’s really special and unique.”
Local vendors will be featured in the market, some returning from the event’s first edition in 2019 and other new ones.
Enchant Christmas also offers a variety of Star Experiences for guests.
The Magic Dinner Star Experience includes a buffet-style “festive feast” in addition to an encounter with Mrs. Claus and a Christmas elf, general admission, dinner, dessert and select non-alcoholic beverages.
As another new feature to this year’s event, visitors can also enjoy a Magic Brunch Star Experience that includes a “delectable Christmas brunch,” general admission and an encounter with Mrs. Claus and a Christmas elf.
There will also be a 21 and over Star Experience that includes an exclusive lounge area with festive drinks and snacks.
Hutson said that the organization has been lucky to choose a city as supportive as St. Petersburg to host the event.
“The management at the Tropicana Field and the city of St. Pete have been so helpful and so welcoming it’s just going to create long-lasting partnerships and relationships,” Hutson said.
To ensure safety and follow COVID-19 guidelines, face masks and social distancing will be encouraged for all guests.
“We are doing ticketed events for both Santa and for ice skating to help us spread out attendance a little bit more,” Hutson said. “We’ll also have additional hand sanitizing stations all around, so people can come with a lot of confidence that they’ll be safe.”
Tickets are on sale now. Adult tickets range from $25 to $35. Discounts are available to military and EMS personnel with a valid ID. Star Experience tickets range from $70 to $1,150.
To purchase tickets, visit enchantchristmas.com/st-petersburg-fl/.
