By South Florida standards, it was a chilly night. But warmth radiated everywhere in Richardson Park during the Wilton Manors Holiday Spectacular. From VIP tables up front to rows of chairs to the inflatable bar in the back, people packed the venue to create and spread holiday cheer.

The incredible Matt Doyle headlined the show, and the Tony award winner lived up to the hype. A children’s choir from Boca Raton stole the show with a young girl belting out songs like she was on Broadway. Miss Bouvèé captured the crowd with a favorite holiday song from her youth. Her fellow Boozy Belter, Jennifer McClain, left fans well entertained and laughing. The list goes on.

The lineup reads like a who’s who of South Florida entertainers. Patrik Gallineaux and FayWhat?!, both in outrageously fab holiday outfits, co-hosted the night.

“Last year I saw it from a spectator’s seat and was blown away,” Fay said. “From the stage it was even more wonderful to feel the love and energy from everyone there.”

The event is produced by Wilton Manors Business Association (WMBA), which brought a professional, well-decorated and festive stage to the park. WMBA President Gary Van Horn said, “It was a truly amazing evening. Everyone was happy.”

Wilton Manors police provided security for the event, and even they were gushing. Van Horn shared a message from Det. Charles Burgan who said, “Last night was a lot of fun with great music and positive messages for our community.”

Avoiding Controversy

There was a last-minute change to the performance lineup after Julia Lemigova was disinvited from the event. Her wife is Martina Navratilova, a former tennis star who came under fire for making anti-trans statements.

Once their behavior was brought to the attention from WMBA’s board, the took action to make sure Lemigova did not perform, and that Navratilova would not receive free VIP tickets.

Jonathan Hawkins booked the performers, including Lemigova. He was at the event but refused to answer any questions.