Winterfest Marks Fourth Year for the History Books; Excitement Spurs
By Abby Haney
The City of Sandy works to remove decorations off the tree after over a month of the tree residing in the plaza. Winterfest ended on Jan. 3 and Sandy decorations were removed, marking the finale of the fourth Winterfest.
The fourth annual Winterfest came to a close this month after long periods of hard work by businesses, volunteers and the Park and Recreation Department. Many new events took place this year, further upscaling the event to appeal Sandy as a winter holiday destination.
Sandy’s Turkey Trot 5K is a beloved tradition by Sandy citizens; it supports the Sandy Action Center. Starting this year in the wintertime, another opportunity to run and support was available for Sandy citizens with the Jingle Jog, a 5K where you can even dress up in holiday spirit on Jan. 3.
The Jingle Jog began in hopes to support Winterfest financially. The majority of offered Winterfest events are free; however, some revenue is necessary. The Jingle Jog acts as a source of funding in order to provide free entertainment for Winterfest.
“We’re always aiming to upgrade our services and events and grow this into a large-scale community event while simultaneously trying to be proactive and creative and how to make it sustainable,” Park and Recreation Community/Senior Center Manager John Wallace said.
The last major event for Winterfest was Holiday Happy Hour taking place on Jan. 3 in Meing Park. It provided opportunities to engage with the community. During the event is when the Merry Makeover Contest Winners was announced.
The Merry Makeover Contest was opened to all local businesses in Sandy. They decorated their business with festive looks to brighten Sandy with holiday spirit. Four winners are chosen, three through votes and one mayor choice. Through this, attraction to Sandy and Winterfest is increased, benefiting residents and tourists.
“The more people we can get here [Sandy], the more people that stop at businesses and stores and spend some time here to grow. This event [Winterfest] helps the community in general,” Wallace said.
The overall goal for Winterfest is promoting Meing Park, Sandy's jewel. However, another key aspect is the includement of local businesses it brings. Many non-profits support Winterfest. In return, they have an active role in showcasing their business to the public.
“It gave them an opportunity to come to our event to promote their organization,” Parks and Recreation Event Coordinator Carol Cohen said.
While the 2025 Winterfest ended for Sandy, it brought a beginning of new possibilities for Sandy. It furthered Sandy’s holiday spirit, brought attention to Meing Park and opened new doors for more events. The tradition of Winterfest marks its fourth year to a close, adding another year into Sandy’s history books for years to come. Winterfest will continue to shine in Sandy and bring a source of not only attention onto Meing Park, but excitement for Sandy residents.
Abby Haney is the Editor-In-Chief at Sandy High School for the Pioneer Press and is a writer at large for The Sandy Historical Society and The Sandy Standard.
