Winter Spectacular 2023 will not take place

Winter Spectacular 2023 in St. Armands Circle will not take place. 

In a letter to Sarasota city officials, Jeff and David Koffman of Ride Entertainment of Sarasota wrote that a reprise of the 2022 event will not be held.

“We are disappointed that, as a result of the loud voices of a minority of citizens, the potential and purpose of Winter Spectacular  ’23 will not be realized and is still mired in contentiousness,” they wrote.  "It seems that our efforts to continue down the path of bringing back the Winter Spectacular for this coming holiday season will only be divisive by these same loud minority voices and thus negate the true meaning of the holiday season and the purpose of the festival.”

Ride Entertainment joined with St. Armands restaurant owner Tom Leonard to produce the three-week winter festival last year to highlight the new holiday tree paid for by the city to replace the 20-year-old tree that was no longer functional. The plan met with opposition from some residents of St. Armands Key over concerns about traffic and private use of public space in Circle Park.

This article's headline has been updated to reflect that a Winter Spectacular 2023 permit was never formally submitted.