Ho Ho Hialeah: Here’s a look at Santa’s Enchanted Forest in its new home

Baby, it’s not cold outside. In fact, it’s at least 80 degrees, and wearing skinny jeans was a bad idea, especially since we just passed a booth selling fried cheesecake.

But despite the temperature, the humidity and the fact that some of us haven’t even thrown out our rotting Halloween pumpkin yet, Christmas has arrived, courtesy of Hialeah.

Santa’s Enchanted Forest reopened at its new location at Hialeah Park Thursday night, with rides, food vendors, games, a giant Christmas tree and enough lights to get you in a holiday frame of mind once the sun goes down and the holiday-themed amusement park lights up. (Santa’s, like most of us, looks best in the dark.)

“It’s such happiness to see everybody back,” spokesman Maritza Gutierrez said. “The spirit of the holidays has begun, and it starts with us.”

The park, which opened in 1983 and is owned by the Shechtman family, lost its original space at Tropical Park right before the COVID-19 crisis hit Miami-Dade. In March 2020, the county parks department ordered Santa’s to leave after its lease expired with no option to renew. Hialeah Park came to the rescue, and unto us a new partnership was born (Gutierrez told the Herald in August that Hialeah is “where it should have been all along”).

The new home feels familiar, right down to the iconic entrance and the new trail of lighted trees leaning above the park’s main path. They’re Florida pines, just like the originals back at Tropical Park.

There’s also a big flashing Christmas tree, because Santa’s Enchanted Forest was way ahead of the Instagram curve, but you have photo ops before you even get there. Returning are all the favorite dioramas: Surfing Santa; Santa and the Grinch on jet skis; the elf gym; Santa in outer space; Santa on the beach. And no, they didn’t forget Baby Jesus: The Nativity is right there at the entrance.

The layout is a little different — there’s actually more space, with more room between the rides. But Gutierrez said early ticket sales have been robust, which means weekends will get crowded fast.

So where to start? Well, first, forget that retooled version of Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me” blasting from the sound system (“I want you for Christmas. I need you for Christmas. I’d love you for Christmas.”) Grab some churros or a deep fried taco. Skip the giant turkey leg and order a pork leg instead. This is Miami — eat like it. If you’re truly brave, you can ignore your doctor’s warnings and order a burger stuffed with mac and cheese. You can diet in January like the rest of us.

Ride the illuminated Ferris wheel or the swings or sip a lemonade and watch as people pour through the entrance pushing strollers and chasing after herds of kids. Only the address has changed — the Miami tradition remains.

Santa’s Enchanted Forest

Where: Hialeah Park, 3100 East Fourth Ave., Hialeah

Hours: 5 p.m.-midnight daily through Jan. 2, 2022

Tickets: Tickets start at $28.04 for kids, $37.38 for adults; express passes available; www.santasenchantedforest.com

This story was originally published November 5, 2021 at 6:00 AM.