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By Gene Williams
October 16 -- Winterlit is coming! Once again Downtown
Santa Monica will be filled with sparkling decorations, twirling
skaters and sugarplum fairies – even children frolicking
on a hill of imported snow.
The elaborate holiday promotion sponsored by the Bayside District
Corporation, Winterlit is filled with seasonal attractions that
are sure to put a smile on even the most hardened Scrooge.
It’s good to be Downtown for the holidays, and Debbie Lee,
marketing director for the Bayside District, is making sure this
year will be better than ever.
“We’re very excited about the programs this year,”
Lee says. “We have activities for children, Snow Hill, character
walk-abouts and the return of ICE at Santa Monica to make our
Downtown a top choice for holiday shopping and entertainment.”
Planning is in its final stages, and Lee is ready to unleash a
clever marketing strategy that’s sure to attract thousands
of visitors and ensure local cash registers ring with holiday
cheer.
Soon the Winterlit message will be everywhere – in the press,
on the street, on the internet and over the airwaves.
Partnerships with businesses, charities and the City of Santa
Monica are moving full speed ahead.
And although Santa Monica Place is closed for reconstruction,
Lee isn’t going to let that cramp the district’s holiday
style.
“Because the mall is closed and they were a huge partner,
I’ve decided to bring back the most popular activities,”
Lee says. The focus will be on providing lots of “family
friendly” fun, she says.
That means some large-scale attractions – including the
return of the 8,000-square-foot outdoor ice skating rink –
along with a host of smaller activities and exhibits.
The idea is to offer people good times and helpful services and
bring them in through cleverly crafted messaging, Lee says.
To help get the word out, mini Winterlit billboards will soon
be seen rolling around the Westside on the Big Blue Bus, a sure
eye-catcher for thousands of motorists and pedestrians alike.
Readers will see Winterlit announcements and colorful display
ads in Where magazine, The Santa Monica Daily Press,
The Mirror, Argonaut and other print media.
Word of the festivities will also appear online at surfsantamonica.com
– the longest established source for Santa Monica news –
and on other websites.
And public radio listeners – a tried-and-true upscale target
audience for Bayside businesses – will hear about Winterlit
through public service announcements on KCRW and affiliate stations.
The fun starts November when the glittering lights and larger-than-life
Winterlit decorations return, amped up this year to create an
even bigger, brighter spectacle than ever before.
Families coming to Winterlit will discover dozens of kid-friendly
things to do, and it’s a good bet they’ll tell their
friends about it.
Educational opportunities include a Tide Pool Cruiser where children
can see, touch and learn about small marine animals and an Instrument
Zoo where budding musicians can try their hands at a variety of
musical instruments.
Traditionally-minded folk will be happy to hear carolers spreading
Yule Tide greetings in harmony throughout the District, while
costumed nutcrackers and Christmas elves will help pump up local
business by handing out free gift cards and information to shoppers.
“It’s our way of saying thank you for choosing Downtown
Santa Monica as the place to get holiday gifts,” Lee says.
Gift-giving is a big part of everyone’s holidays, and a
big source of income for Bayside merchants. And because all that
stuff needs to be wrapped, the Gift Wrap Station will benefit
shoppers and the local businesses as well.
The gift wrap is free with a receipt of purchase from any Downtown
store. In keeping with the spirit of the season, donations will
be accepted and given to a local charity.
Although gifts are certainly important, for many people it just
isn’t the holidays without snow and ice. That’s why
the Bayside District Corporation made it a top priority to bring
back the outdoor ice skating rink at 5th Street and Arizona Avenue
for a second year.
“It’s a huge enhancement to the area for the Holiday
Season,” explains Lee, noting that some 30,000 skaters were
drawn to the Downtown ice last year along with at least as many
spectators.
That includes one unforgettable day when a large crowd watched
in amazement as Olympic Silver Medalist Sasha Cohen leapt, slid
and whirled in a tour de force exhibition of her skills. U.S.
Men’s Figure Skating Champion Evan Lyascek was also there
to sign autographs and help first-time skaters on the ice.
This year Lee is working on a similar program. At the same time
she’s reaching out to Santa Monica schools and youth groups,
including the Police Activities League (PAL) to organize field
trips to the Downtown rink. Lee also hopes to partner with the
City of Santa Monica’s Community Programs Division to offer
skating lessons.
Ice skating is set to begin November 7 and run through January
19 – some five weeks longer than last year. Skaters can
enjoy the rink any day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. for just $10, which
makes coming to Downtown one of the most healthy and affordable
holiday recreation options in Los Angeles.
Craftsmen both young and old will take interest in three playhouses
– a country house, a gym and a fire station – which
will be set up near the skating rink. These aren’t your
run-of-the-mill factory-built sheds, but finely hand-crafted miniatures
made by some of the area’s top builders including Morley
& Shea Construction.
But weren’t we also talking snow? That’s right, Snow
Hill will be back. It’s a winter wonder where you’d
least expect it.
“Snow Hill has become a tradition,” Lee says. “We
bring in a good deal of snow, and children can play in it. Only
in sunny Santa Monica can you play in snow three blocks from the
ocean.”
So while early winter weather will likely hover around a comfortable
70 degrees, local kids who don’t know snow except in a syrup-flavored
cone will get a chance to delight in a small mountain of the real
thing.
As an added bonus, a raffle or auction will allow some lucky family
to take one of these beauties home and put it in their backyard.
The ever-popular Menorah Lighting ceremony promises to draw hundreds
of congregants from local synagogues who will sing, dance and
listen to the age-old story about the festival of light. In keeping
with the tradition, one candle will be lit each evening at sunset
during the eight days of Hanukah.
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