Winter Wonderfest prepares for 2018 season

In the dog days of summer, event producer Peter Briccotto and the Festival of Cheer foundation are already focused on the 2018 Winter Wonderfest in Lewes

During a July 31 meeting, Briccotto gave a detailed report on the festival to Sussex County Council.

Briccotto said over the first two years, the foundation has granted $130,000 to Sussex County nonprofit groups.

The foundation has launched a capital campaign to purchase leased equipment with the intention of raising more grant money.

Council President Mike Vincent, R-Seaford, asked Briccotto if the foundation was requesting a donation from Sussex County.

“We would like to have Sussex County as a partner, but there is not a specific ask today,” Briccotto responded.

Vincent suggested Briccotto direct the foundation to make a formal written request to the county if funding is desired.

Seven weeks of winter fun

Last year, the seven-week festival attracted more than 30,000 visitors from Delaware and 31 other states. “It's becoming a regional event,” Briccotto said.

Scott Thomas, director of Southern Delaware Tourism, said the festival is the start of a new, off-season winter-time tradition that also benefits local restaurants and hotels.

The festival includes the Light Spectacular, a 1.5-mile-long ride to view 100 holiday light displays through the Cape Henlopen State Park campground. The event kicks off with grand-opening weekend Nov. 17-19, featuring Dashing Through the Show 5K. Thirty percent more lights were added to the event last year.

In addition to the state park, the also takes place at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal, the site of the Visit Delaware Ice Rink and Christmas Village, which features Santa's Workshop, Schellville Christmas Lane, Highway One stage, Crooked Hammock Lodge and the Midway with carnival rides and games.

Briccotto said without a dedicated team of more than 200 volunteers, the event would not be possible. He said it takes five weeks to set up the event and another five weeks to break it down. The festival also has four part-time staff.

In all, he said, volunteers worked more than 40,000 hours saving the event more than $89,000. The event has more than 100 sponsors that donated $276,000 last year.

Briccotto said the one of the goals of the capital campaign is to purchase leased equipment such as the 90-by-80-foot ice rink, which cost $297,000 to rent last year. In addition, Briccotto said, the foundation seeks to partner with other events to raise funds to increase the number of grants and to provide more entertainment options to attract more visitors.

In 2017, the festival had income of $608,000 and expenses of $687,000, which forced the foundation to reduce the amount of grant money awarded from the previous year. In 2016, the foundation awarded more than $100,000 in grants and in 2017, it awarded $30,000 in grants.

This year's event is scheduled from Saturday, Nov. 17, through Monday, Dec. 31. Go to wonderfestde.org for more information.