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Jingle Jam returning to Sanford this year
The Jingle Jam Holiday Street Festival is returning to Sanford this year after some uncertainty surrounding the annual event. Earlier this summer, promoters said there were too many regulations and it was becoming cost prohibitive but they reversed their decisions in late August.
SANFORD, Fla. - Jingle Jam is downtown Sanford’s big holiday festival. "It's very much well-attended and people look forward to doing it every year," said Sanford visitor Rick Sims.
In the past, Jingle Jam has drawn thousands of visitors to downtown Sanford. It has featured four stages of live music, food trucks, carnival games, photo experiences, holiday vendors, and more.
"Just a warm-feeling day," said store manager Stephanie Muniz. "I think a lot of people come out and forget their problems of the holidays, stress, spending, everything and just come out and spend the time together and get to know one another, your neighbors of course, which is important."
Earlier in August, Jingle Jam and another popular local event, Hollerbach's Oktoberfest celebration, were canceled. Promoters for the events said there were too many regulations, and the administrative costs were too high.
This is something we talked about on Good Day Orlando with Sanford Mayor Art Woodruff.
"I know in talking to Christina Hollerbach," he said, "her costs - not just the city costs which were increasing some - but the costs for staging, liability insurance, things like that were increasing also, and I think that played in the decision."
After speaking with the mayor, Paul Williams, one of Jingle Jam's organizers, wrote in part on Facebook,"We are going to try and move forward with Sanford Jingle Jam. Planning for the event starts today, and we will do everything in our power to pull it off as a Sanford Main Street event."
The city says it is waiting on the event application before it can move forward with the plans. People in downtown Sanford said it was a good move.
"Well obviously it's going to bring the finance," said Sanford resident Cherie Petrak, "and it also puts a spotlight, a positive spotlight on Sanford."