Starting Friday, Nov. 20, an ice rink will sit in front of the stage at the north end of Williams Park. Local shops will line the edges of the park, a central plaza will open up in the middle, and a food and beverage area will spread across the south end near the fountain and veterans memorial. It runs for six weeks, through Jan. 3, 2027, and walking into the park costs nothing. Only the skating is ticketed.
Most coverage stops at the rink and the ticket price. The organizers have described Winter Wonder as a temporary test. The St. Petersburg Downtown Improvement District runs the event, and it plans to watch how people move through and use the park this season before permanent improvements begin. What draws a crowd at Williams Park between now and early January will help shape the park for years after the rink leaves.
A six-week trial before the permanent work
Williams Park is St. Petersburg's oldest public space. St Pete Catalyst reported that it has also been underused for years. Shaun Drinkard, CEO of the Downtown Improvement District, explained the reasoning to the Catalyst.
"We knew that for the park to be successful, we needed a highly programmed space. So how do we create rooms and spaces in the park to celebrate? Winter Wonder is an opportunity to do something for six weeks."
The idea of "rooms" comes from Dan Biederman, known for his work reviving New York City's Bryant Park. The Catalyst reported that Drinkard relies on him as a guide for Williams Park. Biederman's approach breaks a large public space into smaller rooms, and each one gives people a reason to stop, gather or join in. When he visited, Biederman told organizers the park "has great bones" and doesn't need millions to rebuild.
Size is part of why the approach could work here. Williams Park covers 3.3 acres. The Catalyst noted that a park that compact lets activity build on itself, while in a much larger space like Vinoy Park a small group can disappear into the open lawn. In announcing the event, Drinkard told I Love the Burg that "over six weeks, we'll also learn what draws people here and how to make this historic public space more active throughout the year."
Why the park is ready now
The setup for this winter took close to a decade. In 2016, PSTA moved its bus operations out of Williams Park. The Catalyst reported that the buses had effectively walled the park off for years. The city began planning a bandshell renovation in 2018, and later hurricanes damaged the structure further and slowed the work. Drinkard called it "a 10-year lead-up to investing in the park."
The city's bandshell project restores the historic structure, keeps its character and makes it work better for performances and events. Contractors were scheduled to mobilize on April 20, and the work was expected to take about six months. WUSF reported in late September that the renovation was expected to finish in early November, before Winter Wonder opens. I Love the Burg described Winter Wonder as one of the first uses of the updated bandshell. No standalone bandshell reopening or first concert has been announced. WUSF also reported that The Florida Orchestra has expressed interest in using it.
The park, north to south
The Catalyst described the layout as a set of distinct zones. Each one is a room in the Biederman sense, and each gives planners a different kind of use to observe.
- The rink, north end. A full ice rink in front of the stage, beside the renovated bandshell.
- The central plaza. Open space in the middle of the park.
- The Wonder Market, along the edges. A curated market of local small businesses. The vendor list hasn't been published yet.
- The Food & Beverage Commons, south end. Food, desserts, specialty coffee, cocktails, beer and wine. The official site says the full list of options is coming soon.
The south end matters most for the long-term plan. Drinkard is especially excited about that end of the park, with its fountain and veterans memorial, as a main active plaza. The concept could include events and food and beverage programming seven days a week, all year. This winter's Commons is essentially a temporary version of that idea.
The schedule, and the nights that are skating only
The official schedule has one detail that early announcements left out. On regular Monday through Wednesday nights, only the rink is open. The market, food and drinks are closed.
| Dates | Hours | What's open |
|---|---|---|
| Regular Monday to Wednesday | 6 to 10 p.m. | Ice skating only |
| Regular Thursday and Friday | 6 to 10 p.m. | Skating, market, food and drinks |
| Regular Saturday and Sunday | 2 to 10 p.m. | Skating, market, food and drinks |
| Nov. 23 to 27 | 2 to 10 p.m. | Skating, market, food and drinks |
| Dec. 21 to Jan. 3 | 2 to 10 p.m. | Skating, market, food and drinks |
Both extended stretches line up with school breaks. Nov. 23 to 27 is Thanksgiving week, and the Dec. 21 run takes the event through its final day on Jan. 3.
Skating costs $18 per skater, which covers skate rental and 75 minutes on the ice. A season pass is $85 per skater, with rental included and no blackout days. Reservations are made online or by scanning QR codes on site. Space is limited, so the organizers recommend booking ahead. The Tampa Bay Times reported that Two-for-One Tuesdays bring the price to $9 per skater on Dec. 1, 8 and 15. Groups of 10 to 19 pay $15 per skater and groups of 20 to 30 pay $12.50, on selected sessions Dec. 2, 3, 9, 10, 16 and 17. Tickets go through the Winter Wonder reservation page.
Opening Night is Friday, Nov. 20, from 6 to 10 p.m., with a ceremony at 6. Duke Energy and the City of St. Petersburg lead the list of founding partners. The others are Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, Red Apple Group, Orlando Health, Kolter Urban, Feldman Equities, TJM Properties, Bankers Financial Corporation and St. Petersburg College.
What the six weeks feed into
Once the rink comes down, the permanent work begins. Organizers have secured $800,000 in state appropriations for improvements expected to start after Winter Wonder leaves. WUSF reported that the state-funded work is expected to move forward in early 2027.
In January, the Tampa Bay Times described what that money is meant to buy:
- More visible and accessible entrances
- Planters and landscaping
- Better lighting
- A higher tree canopy
The city's own park-partnership project page adds plant-bed upgrades, sidewalk improvements and expanded electrical capacity, phased in alongside the bandshell restoration. The extra power matters for the plan, because a park programmed seven days a week needs places to plug in vendors, lights and sound.
The Times' January coverage also described the kind of programming Biederman's model brings: concerts, fitness classes, lectures, shuffleboard, art-supply carts and activities for toddlers. This winter's turnout at the rink, the market and the Commons gives planners real evidence for which of those ideas to pursue once the permanent work starts.
Fitting the park into a downtown weekend
Williams Park sits a few blocks inland from the waterfront, and its hours fit around downtown's other cool-season events.
Saturdays. The Saturday Morning Market returned for its full season on Oct. 3 at Al Lang Stadium, 230 1st St. SE. It runs 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday through May. Weekend skating at Williams Park starts at 2 p.m., right as the market closes.
Sundays at The Vinoy. As part of its 100th anniversary, The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club launched a free monthly Vinoy Sunday Market on its waterfront front drive. It runs 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with handcrafted goods and a pop-up from Lottie. Upcoming dates are Nov. 15, Dec. 20, Jan. 17, Feb. 21 and March 21. On Dec. 20, it closes a half hour after the rink opens. The Vinoy's Veranda patio has also reopened after years of renovation. It's open to the public, not only hotel guests, daily from 11 a.m. to midnight, overlooking the marina.
Movie nights at the Pier. The St. Pete Pier's free Flicks and Food Trucks series is back in Family Park. La La Land plays Thursday, Nov. 19, the night before Winter Wonder opens, and Home Alone plays Dec. 18.
A second holiday market. Cool Art for the Holidays, a new fine art and craft festival, takes over the St. Pete Coliseum at 535 4th Ave. N. on Dec. 5 and 6. More than 60 artists are expected, and admission and parking are free. That's a regular Saturday and Sunday at Winter Wonder, so the rink, the Wonder Market and the Commons are open from 2 p.m. both days.
The rink opens Friday, Nov. 20, at 6 p.m. Skating ends for good at 10 p.m. on Jan. 3, and the park's permanent rebuild is expected to start in early 2027.
The Julia Wright Team grew up with this side of Tampa Bay, and we keep track of how projects like the Williams Park revival change daily life downtown. If you live in St. Petersburg and want to know what the park's next phase could mean for your block, Julia Wright and the team are glad to talk it through. Schedule a Consultation.
