The owners of Santa's Enchanted Forest are suing Miami-Dade County to stop another winter wonderland event from setting up shop at its former home.
Santa's called Tropical Park home for nearly four decades before the county refused to renew its lease back in 2020.
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WATCH HERESanta's owners have now filed a civil lawsuit against Miami-Dade County and Loud and Live Engage, the company behind Christmas Wonderland, which is a competing theme park set to debut at Tropical Park on Nov. 16.
"For years, the County promised the holiday event in Tropical Park would be open to a public bid. And for years, Santa’s Enchanted Forest took the County at its word and consistently asked to be part of that process," Etan Mark, an attorney representing Santa's Enchanted Forest, said in a statement. "Now, the County reversed course, ignored its promises and handed the rights to a new unproven entity blatantly copying the Santa’s Enchanted Forest concept."
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The suit claims that Miami-Dade County repeatedly informed Santa's owners that any subsequent use of the Tropical Park property for a large-scale holiday fair like Santa’s Enchanted Forest — or any other event of a similar size and scope — must be competitively awarded.
A promotional video for Christmas Wonderland notably announced that — "Christmas returns to Tropical Park.”
"This lawsuit is being brought to seek redress for the County’s backroom dealings, utter disregard for its own rules and cronyism that threaten the future of SEF and Santa’s Enchanted Forest," the suit stated.
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Santa's owners claim Miami-Dade County strung them along with the promise of a public procurement process — which would have given Santa's a fair attempt at re-establishing itself at Tropical Park.
"The County inexplicably retreated from these repeated assurances and instead simply awarded the coveted lease agreement to a would-be competitor of SEF – i.e., LLE – under the guise of a non-competitive permit," the lawsuit continued.
Miami-Dade County said in a statement to NBC6 that it "firmly disputes" the allegations in the lawsuit.
"Miami-Dade County is committed to upholding the highest standards of compliance with all relevant procurement regulations and legal mandates," the statement read in part. "We are confident in our adherence to the applicable laws governing procurement processes."
The suit asks a judge to cancel the permit for the rival Christmas Wonderland event.
"This lawsuit seeks to hold the county to its word and the law," Mark said. "Still, we are determined to not let the Grinch steal this Christmas."
In the meantime, Santa's Enchanted Forest plans to open at its current home in Medley on Thursday, Nov. 9.
