All photos by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice
Winter Wonderland at Trilith welcomed guests to its inaugural event, a grand opening that took place Monday, Dec. 18, 2023.
The Winter Wonderland experience, which will take place through Dec. 23, makes it the perfect destination for creating unforgettable memories with loved ones. Guests also can capture picture-perfect moments at designated photo spots throughout the wonderland.
The event offered four thrilling experiences that are sure to put anyone in the holiday spirit: Tinsel-Tastic Holiday Celebrations, Festive & Fun Selfie Experience, Outdoor Igloo Experience, and Frosty’s Frozen Lounge.
The Tinsel-Tastic holiday celebrations change daily, making each visit unique and exciting. In addition, guests can enjoy their favorite cocktails at Frosty’s Frozen Lounge, which is adorned with holiday decorations. For a cozy and intimate experience, guests can retreat to the Outdoor Igloo Experience.
Winter Wonderland is a one-stop shop for everything you might imagine you want to do for the holidays, according to the director of the event Octavia Samuels.
“This event is so important because when you consider being south of Atlanta, things we would normally like to do, let’s say outdoor igloos are very hard to find as an option,” she said.
Samuels said she is proud to offer a variety of experiences that cater to all ages and ensure there is something for everyone. She also said her personal favorite of the four experiences is the enchanting Outdoor Igloo Experience, where guests can cozy up and enjoy the winter wonderland atmosphere.
Additionally, Samuels said she is very intentional about the representation of black performers on her roster and includes a Black Santa and Mrs. Claus in the Winter Wonderland experience.
“It’s important because when you think about the entire reasoning behind Winter Wonderland, it’s so people can come to a place and are reminded to believe in their dreams and that anything’s possible,” she said. “When you combine that with having black representation of performers and a Black Santa that looks like the people in the audience, it reminds them there are no doors or walls or anything closed to them as far as believing in their dreams.”
Samuels said as a child growing up, she loved Christmas.
“Each time, either with friends or family, we had a chance to have a Santa at our school or take a photo with Santa or even as young. I remember my day here. Santa will come, and it was never black. Santa didn’t look like me. And it helped in my mind reinforce the belief that everything positive, it looks white, even when it comes to the holidays. And I didn’t even want that to be the case when given the opportunity. I wanted every person, no matter their color or age, to be able to celebrate the holidays and see it reflected in them.
As part of their “Pose for a Purpose initiative”, 50% of ticket sales from the Festive & Fun Selfie Experience will be donated to cause-based organizations.
“One of the things I really love about Winter Wonderland is the commitment to family, so we have programing created just for families to connect and engage with each other like Carol-okie and also the diversity and inclusion focuses on intention,” she said.
With their community outreach, Samuels said, they have Santa Andre for their “Brunch with Santa” and “Pink Christmas” events as well. Additionally, Samuels said they have partnered with an organization called Southside Support, where they are hosting families who have children with special needs for a sensory-friendly experience.
“We’ve planned this with the idea in mind of being mindful of making sure that they can access Santa, it’s inclusive and meets the sensory guideline,” she said.
Through the event, Samuels will be supporting 15 local small businesses. As a Black business owner herself, she said the importance of supporting small businesses is crucial.
“It was important to me when having the opportunity to choose different vendors like catering or entertainment, to choose small businesses that have been extremely impacted by some of that, especially those based in Charlotte that relied heavily on the entertainment audience,” Samuels said.
She also said during the event week, they are running a promo code that gives you $20 off all the “simple-sensory celebration and in some cases brings down ticket prices to $25.”
Samuels said she wants everyone at the grand opening to have an amazing time during the event week.
“I want them to have a small experience of what it will be like for the entire week. I want guests to share the idea; The entire setup of how we split a building made up of shipping containers into a winter wonderland,” she said. “I want people throughout the week to know the space was created for them and was built within their minds so they could foster great memories for the holidays and spend time with their friends and families.”
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://playspacesus.com.