An outdoor ice rink is coming to the heart of downtown St. Petersburg, transforming Williams Park into a winter destination called Winter Wonder starting Nov. 20 and running through Jan. 3, 2027. Reserved adult skating will run $18, with $9 Two-for-One Tuesdays on Dec. 1, 8, and 15, and a $65 season pass for repeat visitors, while simply walking through the park stays free.
According to Tampa Newsroom, the rink will operate daily, open from 6 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 2 to 10 p.m. on weekends. Duke Energy is serving as the presenting sponsor for the holiday experience. The event divides the park’s 3.3 acres into distinct zones, with the ice rink on the north side in front of the historic bandshell, a local vendor market ringing the perimeter, and a Food & Beverage Commons pouring seasonal cocktails, beer, wine, and food on the south end, per the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership.
A Bandshell Rebuilt Just in Time
The timing is no accident. The city of St. Petersburg and Biltmore Construction Co. launched a $3 million overhaul of the park’s historic bandshell in April 2026, stripping and rebuilding its steel frame and installing a new roof, electrical systems, lighting, AV equipment, and a wheelchair lift, with completion targeted for November 2026, St. Petersburg Business News reports. That budget grew from an original 2022 estimate of $1.5 million.
Williams Park has served as a town square since its establishment in 1894. Buses were relocated away from the park in 2016.
Public Money Meets a Bryant Park Playbook
The Florida Legislature approved an $800,000 capital improvement appropriation in its FY 2025-2026 budget for safety lighting, entrance gateways, planters, and sidewalk repairs, sponsored by state Sen. Darryl Rouson and Rep. Bernie Jacques. Altogether, the multi-year revitalization combines roughly $4 million in public and private investment: $3 million for the bandshell, $800,000 in state safety grants, and a $500,000 private fundraising goal for ongoing programming, with donors having committed about half of that goal by early 2026, per St. Petersburg Business News…