Guess who’s coming home for Christmas? None other than Santa’s Magic Forest, now renamed Santa’s Magic Playground!

The new version of the popular holiday event is scheduled to kick-off the season when it opens on Saturday, November 30 at Kudos Taproom & Fieldhouse, 14100 Pardee Road at Superior. As always, it benefits the Fish & Loaves Community Food Pantry.

Santa’s Magic Playground will be open more than ever before. Hours will be 4-9 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and noon-8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The event runs from Saturday, November 30 through Sunday, December 22. (NOTE: Kudos will be closed to the public on Sunday, December 8 and Friday, December 13, due to a previous commitment.)

General admission will be $5 with children 3 and under admitted for free. Photos with Santa Claus or the Grinch are available for an additional cost of $10 and will be provided by Rosecrans Picture Perfect Photography.

The old Santa’s Magic Forest was held for decades at Heritage Park’s Activities Building through a partnership with the City of Taylor. The presentation is made up of unique holiday displays, many including animatronic characters from the old JL Hudson Co. Christmas displays of decades ago. It quickly became known as Downriver’s finest holiday display.

The City, which owns the displays, had provided the Activities Building rent-free, maintained the property during the winter months and stored the displays year-round. However, that building underwent a massive renovation last year, leaving Santa’s Magic Forest without a home. It took time, but Fish & Loaves Executive Director Stephanie McNees found a willing partner in Linda Earle and the Kudos Taproom & Fieldhouse.

“We’re both very excited about this,” McNees said. “This fund-raiser is a huge benefit to Fish & Loaves. Over the years, it has attracted a ton of visitors during the holiday season. Having visitors enjoy the new Santa’s Magic Playground while also being exposed to all of the great experiences that Kudos Taproom & Fieldhouse offers will be a win-win for everyone involved.”

“Kudos as an organization is really looking forward to this,” Earle added.

Other related opportunities will also be available, although they are not finalized yet. Special food items and a “Santa’s Magic Menu” has been discussed. Private visits for school classes and/or other special organizations during off-hours will also be offered.

“We are really happy about this new partnership,” Mayor Tim Woolley said. “We spent a lot of time helping present Santa’s Magic Forest each year. Families loved it. When it became obvious that we couldn’t host it any longer, everyone worked hard to find another location, particularly in Taylor. I’m very excited that Stephanie and Linda were able to finalize this partnership. Santa’s Magic Playground will make this Christmas just a little more special for a lot of families.”

The Fish & Loaves Community Food Pantry is an 8,000-square-foot 501(c)3 client choice facility located in Taylor that serves Allen Park, Brownstown, Dearborn Heights, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor and Woodhaven. It also serves partner churches and emergency food visits. In 2023, Fish & Loaves distributed 2.8M pounds of food; served over 90,000 individuals; and its volunteer base donated 24,000 hours to bring it all together.

Kudos Taproom & Fieldhouse is the G.O.A.T. – the greatest of all times. It offers a fun and inviting atmosphere for people of all ages to eat, drink and compete. It has games like corn hole, axe throwing, football bowling, pickleball and more.

For more information, click in www.flcfp.org.