Latest / Inside West Palm Beach / Getting The Most Out Of ”Holiday In Paradise”

Transcript

Getting The Most Out Of ”Holiday In Paradise” · Inside West Palm Beach

• 0:15
  This is a city center podcast from West Palm Beach,
• 0:18
  Florida.
• 0:19
  I'm Jerry Marcelo December in West Palm Beach.
• 0:23
  Truly is a holiday in paradise between cool,
• 0:27
  beautiful weather and the spirit of the holidays in the air.
• 0:30
  Our town is truly a magic place to be.
• 0:34
  That's why the city's holiday in Paradise event has been an enduring part of every December for many years.
• 0:41
  What many people don't know is that holiday in Paradise has special events built into it to bring you back day after day again and again.
• 0:50
  Joining us today is Mary Pennock,
• 0:52
  marketing and community events manager for the city of West Palm Beach.
• 0:56
  Mary.
• 0:56
  Welcome.
• 0:57
  Hi Jerry,
• 0:57
  how are you doing today?
• 0:58
  Doing great.
• 0:59
  Now,
• 0:59
  you brought somebody special with you today for this interview.
• 1:02
  I brought one of my most favorite people in the whole world.
• 1:07
  My best buddy,
• 1:09
  Sandy.
• 1:10
  Hi,
• 1:11
  Jerry.
• 1:11
  How y'all?
• 1:12
  West Palm Beach?
• 1:13
  Wow.
• 1:14
  I mean,
• 1:15
  that is really special.
• 1:16
  We have got such a guest and I'm telling you talk about a personality that fills the room.
• 1:23
  Yeah,
• 1:23
  I leave a little sparkle everywhere I go,
• 1:25
  no doubt,
• 1:26
  no doubt.
• 1:27
  And it was a challenge getting her in here too.
• 1:29
  I'm gonna tell you all 700 tons of her.
• 1:32
  It's not 700.
• 1:32
  She's looking great.
• 1:33
  She's not an ounce over 699 tons.
• 1:36
  Thank you.
• 1:37
  Out of her curves.
• 1:38
  Right.
• 1:39
  Real cheese have curves.
• 1:41
  Well,
• 1:41
  we're gonna be talking to you in just a moment.
• 1:43
  Sandy.
• 1:44
  But let's talk a little bit about the history of,
• 1:47
  uh,
• 1:47
  holiday in paradise.
• 1:48
  Oh,
• 1:49
  I would love to talk about that,
• 1:51
  Jerry.
• 1:51
  Uh I guess it was back 12 years ago.
• 1:55
  Well,
• 1:55
  actually 13 years ago,
• 1:58
  we used to bring down a holiday tree that we would cut down.
• 2:03
  We wouldn't cut it down.
• 2:04
  Somebody would cut it down for us in the North Carolina area thereabouts and we would put it up and we would decorate it and it would be not in great shape by the end of December.
• 2:17
  It wasn't a real sustainable thing to do,
• 2:20
  probably.
• 2:21
  And it was boring,
• 2:22
  to be completely honest with you.
• 2:24
  It was,
• 2:25
  you know,
• 2:25
  everybody did something like that.
• 2:27
  So we decided 13 years ago,
• 2:29
  we had an event called Holiday in Paradise.
• 2:32
  And we brought in sand sculptors from world renowned sand sculptors from the other coast in Sarasota.
• 2:38
  And they created 12 sand sculptures for us.
• 2:40
  Not Sandy.
• 2:41
  We had the old tree and 12,
• 2:44
  you know,
• 2:45
  12 sand sculptures that we put throughout downtown.
• 2:48
  So as they were finishing up the sand sculptures before they left,
• 2:52
  it was seems fantastic who we use.
• 2:54
  I asked the guy I knew he created big sand castles.
• 2:59
  And I said,
• 3:00
  hey,
• 3:00
  could you create a giant tree made out of sand holiday tree?
• 3:05
  And he kind of looked at me and he's like,
• 3:08
  yes I could.
• 3:09
  And I said,
• 3:09
  well,
• 3:10
  let's talk about that.
• 3:12
  And he followed back up a month or two later with a proposal and said,
• 3:16
  you know,
• 3:16
  you're not gonna believe the amount of math that goes into,
• 3:20
  you know,
• 3:20
  it's,
• 3:20
  it's not just a pile of sand the way they create it.
• 3:23
  Obviously,
• 3:23
  there's a lot to it.
• 3:24
  It is just sand,
• 3:25
  but it's a process.
• 3:27
  And um Sandy was born the next year.
• 3:30
  We didn't call her Sandy until year two,
• 3:32
  I think because we weren't sure what we were doing the first year we were doing something that had never been done in the entire world.
• 3:41
  Sure.
• 3:41
  As far as we know.
• 3:42
  So,
• 3:43
  so Sandy there,
• 3:44
  you were suddenly you were a part of the scene at Holiday Inn Paradise here in West Palm Beach.
• 3:50
  What was it like your first year?
• 3:51
  Oh,
• 3:52
  my goodness,
• 3:53
  Jerry.
• 3:53
  I could not wait to be created my Glam squad team.
• 3:58
  Fantastic.
• 3:58
  They work on me for weeks leading up to my big debut.
• 4:03
  And when I was first created,
• 4:05
  you know,
• 4:06
  Mary had a great idea,
• 4:07
  but I tell you,
• 4:08
  I was a little waif of a thing.
• 4:10
  I was only 400 tons and for goodness sakes,
• 4:14
  I am bigger and stronger and prouder than that louder than that too.
• 4:20
  So now I am finally at the proper weight,
• 4:23
  which is 700 tons.
• 4:25
  Don't,
• 4:26
  you know,
• 4:26
  so you're seeing the,
• 4:27
  your team would work on you for,
• 4:29
  what,
• 4:29
  three weeks to get you ready?
• 4:31
  Oh,
• 4:31
  yes.
• 4:32
  Black Mary said they have to do all the calculations.
• 4:35
  They have to figure out how to build me where to build me because that great lawn,
• 4:39
  you know,
• 4:40
  it's a challenge.
• 4:41
  Sometimes there's other things that have to be down there.
• 4:44
  I think that's ridiculous.
• 4:45
  So you don't actually wake up looking like this every morning.
• 4:49
  Well,
• 4:49
  once I'm here,
• 4:50
  of course,
• 4:51
  I do.
• 4:52
  I don't let anyone see me without my glam squad,
• 4:56
  please.
• 4:57
  But they have to get me to this point.
• 4:59
  I wish I could just wake up like this,
• 5:01
  Jerry,
• 5:02
  don't we?
• 5:02
  All?
• 5:05
  She really shines at night,
• 5:07
  Jerry.
• 5:07
  I gotta tell you she's beautiful during the day.
• 5:09
  But Sandy,
• 5:10
  you are something spectacular at night.
• 5:12
  Now,
• 5:12
  that's something that I really did want to talk about.
• 5:14
  It is a breathtaking experience to go down there and see Sandy and her glory and all the lights talk a little bit about the type of lights that you've got.
• 5:24
  She really is a beacon.
• 5:25
  She is an icon or a beacon on the waterfront and Fuse dog media group comes in and does all of the lighting in Sandy land,
• 5:33
  not just on Sandy,
• 5:35
  but throughout the whole area we call it Sandy Land and spectacular,
• 5:39
  spectacular music and light shows every single night from November 30th through midnight on December 31st.
• 5:48
  So,
• 5:49
  um Sandy's beautiful during the day,
• 5:51
  but at night she knocks your socks off and I do do several versions of my show,
• 5:58
  Jerry.
• 5:58
  So when you come on down,
• 6:00
  you got to come and stay for a while so you can see them.
• 6:03
  All right.
• 6:04
  So it's not just a matter of just showing up for just a few minutes.
• 6:06
  You really want to spend some time down there at the waterfront,
• 6:09
  really?
• 6:09
  Having a good time.
• 6:10
  Yeah.
• 6:11
  And I mean,
• 6:11
  Sandy has friends every year.
• 6:13
  She has friends and this year lots of friends this year,
• 6:16
  she actually is bringing Captain Polly who is a parrot and he's on a pirate ship and he spots all the glitter and lights from afar and he flies in and he discovers not just Sandy,
• 6:30
  but her cousin Ferris is coming back this year,
• 6:33
  the Ferris wheel that actually power over Sandy.
• 6:37
  I love my cousin Ferris.
• 6:39
  He is so much fun.
• 6:40
  He's not that bright,
• 6:42
  he's not the brightest crayon in the box,
• 6:44
  but he knows how to go round and round and round.
• 6:48
  I've heard that about him.
• 6:49
  He goes in circles a lot.
• 6:51
  He runs in circles but he,
• 6:53
  he,
• 6:53
  we,
• 6:54
  we had such a good time with Ferris last year.
• 6:56
  He came and um he,
• 6:59
  he asked to come back and Sandy Well,
• 7:01
  he is family.
• 7:01
  So it's a little hard to tell family they can't visit.
• 7:04
  Right.
• 7:05
  But such a success that we brought Ferris back.
• 7:08
  And then this year we have Paradise Island,
• 7:10
  which is a giant sandbox filled with 50 tons of sand along with a pirate ship that's going to be there for the kids to play all kinds of games.
• 7:19
  So we're really kind of playing up the,
• 7:21
  the theme which is Treasure West Palm Beach.
• 7:25
  I just love the sandbox idea because when there isn't a sandbox,
• 7:30
  they pick up my base and I don't like that.
• 7:33
  I don't feel good about that at all.
• 7:35
  I want them to go over to the sandbox.
• 7:38
  Yeah.
• 7:38
  Leave her alone.
• 7:39
  Trust me.
• 7:41
  She is the star down there and we do not mess with Sandy.
• 7:45
  Absolutely.
• 7:45
  Now,
• 7:46
  one of the things I've always wondered about now,
• 7:48
  Sandy,
• 7:48
  you always look really,
• 7:49
  really good even if it rains.
• 7:51
  Well,
• 7:52
  of course,
• 7:53
  I do.
• 7:53
  Jerry.
• 7:54
  What is a girl's friend?
• 7:56
  I was wondering if it like hairspray or something to keep everything in place.
• 8:00
  Oh,
• 8:00
  it's team.
• 8:01
  Fantastic.
• 8:02
  It's that glam squad.
• 8:04
  I cannot reveal their secrets,
• 8:06
  but I can tell you it is just sand,
• 8:09
  it's just sand and it's packed in there really tight.
• 8:12
  Just like when you go to the beach and you make a sand castle,
• 8:15
  they create an upside down,
• 8:17
  basically method of doing that.
• 8:20
  They build forms and it's just,
• 8:22
  it's Florida sand and it's packed in there with water very,
• 8:25
  very tightly.
• 8:27
  And so when they sculpt down,
• 8:29
  it's pretty darn solid.
• 8:30
  And then they use,
• 8:31
  it's just really a mixture of Elmer's glue and water that they tell my secret.
• 8:36
  I did.
• 8:37
  I told you because I can ask that all the time.
• 8:41
  Sandy.
• 8:41
  I'm really sorry.
• 8:43
  Well,
• 8:43
  I will tell you this too,
• 8:44
  Jerry.
• 8:45
  Since we're sharing secrets,
• 8:47
  they put a little bit of critter Ritter in there too.
• 8:49
  So none of the critters come around me.
• 8:52
  Well,
• 8:53
  we need to do that.
• 8:54
  We do that.
• 8:55
  People should be doing that anyway.
• 8:57
  It's a good thing.
• 8:58
  So the point is is that there's stuff to do pretty much every,
• 9:03
  always,
• 9:03
  every night during,
• 9:05
  during the month of December.
• 9:06
  Um,
• 9:07
  is there any other special events?
• 9:08
  Are there movies or anything else that's going on?
• 9:10
  Yeah.
• 9:11
  Well,
• 9:11
  it all kicks off November 30th,
• 9:13
  which is a Thursday night,
• 9:14
  of course at Clematis by night.
• 9:16
  That's the tree lighting and that's when Sandy makes her big debut.
• 9:20
  I can't wait.
• 9:22
  And it's right,
• 9:23
  right around seven o'clock because when we light her up,
• 9:26
  um,
• 9:26
  we have great bands at night.
• 9:28
  Of course,
• 9:28
  Paradise Island and Ferris will be going right at six o'clock and it's usually one of our,
• 9:34
  our busiest nights of the year.
• 9:36
  You know,
• 9:36
  who else is stopping by that night?
• 9:39
  Who Santa and Mrs Claus are coming back for pictures with the Children.
• 9:44
  I love.
• 9:45
  That's right.
• 9:46
  And we have a holiday gift boutique in the lake pavilion.
• 9:48
  So you can shop and you can buy all your,
• 9:51
  you know,
• 9:51
  necessary tropical gifts for the holidays.
• 9:54
  And so then we roll right in,
• 9:56
  we have our screen on the green,
• 9:58
  the second Friday,
• 9:59
  which is the,
• 10:01
  is the eight.
• 10:02
  Thank you,
• 10:02
  Sandy.
• 10:03
  And we're going to show the Muppets Treasure Island and the Muppet Christmas story,
• 10:09
  which are both rated G and that's always a great time.
• 10:12
  So Sandy's there and we've got that and I think your BFF Santa is coming back that night too.
• 10:18
  He is and he's bringing his missus with him and I just love the Muppet movies.
• 10:24
  Them,
• 10:24
  them Muppets are characters just like me.
• 10:28
  And then on the 16th we have Sandy's Pancake Breakfast,
• 10:32
  which is gonna have a little bit of a pirate roll this year and that is uh nine o'clock,
• 10:37
  10 o'clock and 11 o'clock in the lake pavilion.
• 10:40
  And Santa will be back for that.
• 10:42
  Exactly.
• 10:42
  How does that work?
• 10:43
  Just bring it,
• 10:44
  bring the and you can so we'll have it out there so you can buy tickets in advance.
• 10:49
  Yeah,
• 10:49
  it's a,
• 10:49
  it's pretty darn popular.
• 10:51
  So,
• 10:52
  yeah,
• 10:52
  you want to get your tickets and it is also the only day of the entire month that you can ride Ferris during the day and,
• 11:02
  and that's perfect for the little ones.
• 11:04
  Sometimes it's a little much for them to get up there at night.
• 11:07
  But during the day after they saw Santa and he told them to go up there.
• 11:11
  It's the only day Jerry all month during the pancake breakfast.
• 11:17
  And then that weekend,
• 11:18
  we also have our soul in the city Jazz on the 13th,
• 11:21
  which is Wednesday.
• 11:23
  And that's gonna be another great evening of just spectacular jazz.
• 11:28
  That'll be in the lake pavilion.
• 11:29
  Tickets will be on sale for that as well.
• 11:32
  And that's one of mayor,
• 11:33
  mayor uh James's favorite event.
• 11:36
  He loves that.
• 11:37
  He absolutely loves that event.
• 11:38
  And then the 17th is Sunday on the waterfront.
• 11:42
  And we bring back our a tradition almost as popular as Sandy.
• 11:47
  Be careful there quite but almost uh with the Aloha Islanders,
• 11:52
  which is the Polynesian show that we,
• 11:54
  we bring in um every single Sunday on the waterfront in December and that's from 4 to 7 and it is right on the waterfront.
• 12:02
  It surrounds Sandy.
• 12:03
  You've got the fire throwers and the,
• 12:06
  the hula dancers.
• 12:08
  You should see those girls hits,
• 12:10
  man.
• 12:10
  Can they move?
• 12:11
  They are good.
• 12:13
  They are good.
• 12:13
  And then of course,
• 12:14
  we wrap up on the 31st and that night we go till midnight and Sandy will last one song right at midnight.
• 12:22
  You're making me sad already.
• 12:23
  Yeah.
• 12:23
  And then she,
• 12:25
  I don't know where you're going this year.
• 12:26
  I am not gonna tell people because I find my fans get there before me.
• 12:31
  I want a little break.
• 12:32
  You know what I'm saying?
• 12:34
  I've been working all month.
• 12:36
  She usually goes to Tahiti or I'm sorry,
• 12:41
  I'm busting your plans.
• 12:44
  I did meet them.
• 12:45
  Uh,
• 12:45
  Jimmy Buffett cruise people.
• 12:46
  So you never know.
• 12:48
  You never know.
• 12:50
  So it's an action packed month,
• 12:51
  all sorts of stuff going on.
• 12:53
  Now,
• 12:54
  if you are coming from,
• 12:56
  say one of the neighboring communities,
• 12:58
  the best thing to do is just come on downtown and go ahead and park in one of the parking structures.
• 13:02
  Yeah,
• 13:02
  I would park in the the city parking garages.
• 13:05
  There's many of them.
• 13:06
  Um We you can find that on the website,
• 13:09
  all the information where to park and then they have that free ride that goes around now too,
• 13:14
  which is super easy.
• 13:16
  I would definitely say on the night of the tree lighting try to get here early.
• 13:20
  It starts at six,
• 13:21
  but why not come down at five and get yourself a great spot.
• 13:24
  And you can see Sandy right before she transforms into magical Sandy.
• 13:31
  I'm just so excited.
• 13:34
  So in,
• 13:35
  in wrapping up here.
• 13:36
  So you're saying that the opening night is going to be a usually a really busy night.
• 13:40
  How is it?
• 13:41
  Is there any other nights that people really should get there early if they want to take,
• 13:44
  take advantage?
• 13:45
  Is it New Year's or,
• 13:47
  you know,
• 13:47
  New Year's downtown is always pretty busy.
• 13:49
  So I would say that Saturday nights are busy.
• 13:52
  But you know,
• 13:53
  the thing about Sandy is like you said,
• 13:55
  earlier.
• 13:56
  It's not just come and watch a show and leave.
• 13:58
  There's so much to do we,
• 14:00
  what we find our families come down,
• 14:01
  they watch the show.
• 14:02
  They see Sandy,
• 14:03
  they're probably gonna play in Paradise Island.
• 14:05
  Go on Ferris.
• 14:06
  Then they go up the street and they eat dinner because we have some fabulous restaurants on the street and then they cut back down and they catch the late night show,
• 14:14
  you know,
• 14:15
  like right before 10 they're gonna watch.
• 14:17
  So we're finding,
• 14:18
  um,
• 14:18
  families coming down for,
• 14:20
  you know,
• 14:20
  234 hours,
• 14:22
  which is really good for downtown and the economy.
• 14:25
  And the other thing that we forgot to mention,
• 14:28
  which my tribe would be very upset with me about this.
• 14:31
  We have four other sculptures downtown along the sea wall.
• 14:35
  That team fantastic is their detail doing and they are beautiful to see and Mary and her team lights them up.
• 14:44
  They have a tent over them so you can find them from far away.
• 14:47
  They are beautiful.
• 14:49
  Yeah.
• 14:49
  You know,
• 14:49
  the whole downtown is magical.
• 14:51
  Really the street with the canopy lights and all the decorations leading straight.
• 14:56
  You can see Sandy from down the road and it's just a beautiful sight and it goes all the way down Flagler.
• 15:02
  We light up the trees on Flagler Drive too.
• 15:04
  It's spectacular.
• 15:06
  Jerry Treasure.
• 15:08
  It is indeed a treasure.
• 15:10
  Both of you.
• 15:11
  Thank you so much for taking your time to come on down here.
• 15:14
  Sandy.
• 15:14
  We're excited to come and visit you beginning on uh the end at the end of November and seeing all the wonderful things that are in store down at the waterfront.
• 15:22
  Well,
• 15:22
  bless your heart,
• 15:24
  Jerry.
• 15:24
  Thank you for having me.
• 15:26
  Thank you,
• 15:26
  Mary.
• 15:26
  We appreciate your time so much.
• 15:28
  Thanks Jerry.
• 15:29
  Appreciate it.
• 15:30
  The City Center podcast is produced by the City of West Palm Beach.
• 15:34
  We hope you found today's discussion useful.
• 15:36
  And if you did,
• 15:37
  please subscribe.
• 15:38
  If you have any questions or comments,
• 15:40
  please write us at podcast at W PB dot org.
• 15:46
  If you wish to learn more about holiday in paradise and what events are planned.
• 15:50
  Visit the city's website at W PB dot org,
• 15:55
  front slash H IP.
• 15:59
  This is Jerry Marcelo.
• 16:01
  We'll see you next time.