96th Street Park Turns Two, and Surfside's Winter Calendar Runs Through It

Surfside's Parks and Recreation department lists 11 signature events with dates attached, and five of them are at 96th Street Park, 9580 Bay Dr. Halloween, Winter Wonderland, Family Fun Day, the Sweetheart Dance and the Spring Egg Hunt all happen at the park. The Community Center at 9301 Collins Ave. hosts four, and Veterans Park hosts two.

Two winters ago that park was a construction site. On Sunday, Dec. 13, it hosts its third Winter Wonderland, nearly two years to the day after it reopened. Along the way, the town's public social life has settled into the bay end of 96th Street, and the weekend Farmers Market works the ocean end of the same street.

The park the calendar moved into

The rebuild ran longer than planned. Minutes from the Town's Parks and Recreation Committee in December 2022 put the start of construction at Jan. 17, 2023, and estimated the work would take about 12 months. The park reopened on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, at the first Winter Wonderland held on the new grounds. The Town's reopening announcement said more than 1,500 residents and friends turned out. It also credited Savino Miller Design and Lunacon Construction as the project's partners.

The Town's construction bid documents set out what the rebuild would include:

• A two-story recreation building
• A kayak launch on the bay
• A full basketball court
• Open green space that doubles as a soccer field
• Two playgrounds, each designed for a different age group
• A shade structure, lighting, landscaping and benches

A field, a building, lighting and room for a crowd are the basics a seasonal event needs, and the park now has all of them on one bayside parcel. The project also earned LEED Gold certification at its final construction review, according to the Town Manager's April 2025 report.

How the park runs on an ordinary day

Most days, the park is simply the neighborhood park. The Town Manager's October 13, 2026 report lists park hours as 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. The kayak launch and the playgrounds close earlier and are open 8 a.m. to sunset. At this time of year, sunset arrives well before dinner. So the launch closes hours before the basketball courts, which keep the full 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. schedule on the Town's parks information page.

The multipurpose field was completely resodded this fall. The September 2026 Town Manager report recorded the work, which leaves fresh turf going into the busiest stretch of the park's calendar.

The Town's Parks and Recreation FAQ lists a few house rules:

1. Outside food is not permitted.
2. Large groups need permission from the Town.
3. Borrowing park equipment requires a valid driver's license or Town ID.
4. Cleats are allowed only for approved Parks and Recreation activities.
5. The field lights are reserved for department programs.

Dog owners should head elsewhere. Surfside's dog park, Paws Up Dog Park, is at Byron Avenue and 93rd Street.

Five of 11 signature events, one address

Here are the upcoming signature events as the Town currently lists them. The two Veterans Park ceremonies, Veterans Day and the Memorial Day Ceremony on May 31, 2027, make up the rest of the 11.

The park's events come in a run. Winter Wonderland, Family Fun Day, the Sweetheart Dance and the Spring Egg Hunt all fall within 14 weeks, from mid-December to late March. For that stretch of the year, the bay end of 96th Street is where the town gathers.

The smaller programs come here too. The Town's "Under the Stars Movie Night" series has screened at the park, including a January 10, 2026 showing. Last January's Family Fun Day filled the grounds with games, rides, music and food, according to the Town's recap of the day.

Dec. 13 is the park's third Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland has changed each year. In 2024 it doubled as the park's opening day, and the crowd came partly to see the new grounds. By 2025 it had become a holiday event in its own right. The Town's recap of the Dec. 14, 2025 edition describes snowfall over the park, ice skating, snowy play areas and seasonal activities, run by the Parks and Recreation Department.

The 2026 edition is listed for Sunday, Dec. 13, at 10 a.m., which means a morning start and a full day of daylight for the snow.

A second December tradition is growing alongside it. The Town Manager's September 2026 report says the Resort Tax Board plans to widen its annual Christmas Tree Lighting into a broader, more inclusive holiday celebration of the season's many traditions. The lighting started in 2024. According to the same report, its first two years drew sizeable crowds of families meeting Santa Claus, drinking champagne, eggnog and hot chocolate, and listening to holiday music. So a December that once had one town gathering now has two, and both started in the same year the park reopened.

Between now and then, the ocean end of 96th Street

The season leading up to Winter Wonderland runs mostly by the ocean. The Surfside Farmers Market sets up at the 96th Street Beach Entrance on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., selling fresh items, specialty foods and artisanal goods. The Town's market listing shows the season running from early October 2026 through late May 2027. On weekend mornings the beach end of the street is busy, while the bay end waits for its December date.

Between now and Thanksgiving, the Town calendar spreads out across Surfside:

• Friday, Nov. 13, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Senior Brunch Bunch at the Surfside Community Center, 9301 Collins Ave., with a buffet and bingo. Registration is required.
• Sunday, Nov. 15, 4 p.m.: Music on the Beach, Classic Rock edition, at 93rd Street Beach. Seating is limited and first come, first served.
• Wednesday, Nov. 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: A senior trip to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, leaving from the Community Center. The fee is $15 for residents and $25 for nonresidents.
• Saturday, Nov. 21, 8 a.m.: The Town of Surfside team at the 2026 Walk to End Alzheimer's in Miami.
• Tuesday, Nov. 24, 11 a.m. to noon: "Mornings with the Mayor: Mayor's Breakfast Club," coffee and conversation with Mayor Shlomo Danzinger in the Commission Chambers on the second floor of 9293 Harding Ave.
• Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26 and 27: Town Hall offices are closed for Thanksgiving.

After Thanksgiving, the calendar moves back to the bay. The Dec. 13 snow day at 9580 Bay Dr. comes first, then Family Fun Day on Jan. 31 at 1 p.m., and the Sweetheart Dance on the evening of Feb. 12.

The blocks between 96th Street Park and the beach entrance are part of what Kim tracks when she advises buyers and sellers across Surfside, including which buildings are a short walk from the bay end of 96th Street. If you'd like to know what's on the market within that stretch this season, Kimberly Rodstein offers a private market consultation or an exclusive listing preview, timed around your December calendar.