Makers of Merry

The team began to dream up the idea of a little Christmas village on the lawn at Congress Hall, although there was some skepticism among some of the managers, who weren’t seeing much potential revenue coming from a time of year when temperatures regularly dipped into the ‘30s. It was decided that a mini shopping village, comprised of red-and-white striped tents, reminiscent of those in New York’s Union Square, would be the centerpiece of this new holiday attraction, augmented by activities like Santa’s Toyland, a carousel, a charming little train that circled the perimeter of the lawn, and a grand tree, three stories in height.

On December 9, 2011, Winter Wonderland made a solid, if unspectacular, debut. A huge tree illuminated the lawn, while a cluster of booths comprised a small shopping area in a corner of the parking lot. It proved to be a hit with guests and locals, but it was nothing compared to what happened one year later, when Winter Wonderland very quickly came of age. A chorus of “oohs” and “aahs” came from a crowd of more than 1,000 strong as a 34-foot-tall blue spruce (illuminated by 9,000 multicolored lights) cast a shadow on awed spectators, squealing children, and an expanded shopping village which stretched around the pool, in which floated two firepits. Christmas trees for sale were arranged along the veranda, benefitting the local Cub Scout Troop 73. The mood of the Winter Wonderland crowd—hopeful, energized and hungry (12,000 cookies were baked by the hotel’s pastry chef)—was Cape May at its best.

The night began in the ballroom where the goosebump-inducing Congress Hall Festival Choir treated the standing-room-only crowd to a concert of holiday classics next to a Christmas tree concocted entirely from poinsettias. Leading the choir was Myra Vassian, Cape Resorts Director of Entertainment. “Myra directed the choir at City Church in New York, where I attended. I joined the choir there and one day asked her to establish a community choir in Cape May for our beloved Fourth of July and new Christmas Tree Lighting ceremonies,” says Curtis. “What she does is nothing short of incredible.”

At the end of the concert’s now-traditional rendition of “O Holy Night,” Curtis addressed the crowd, saying that the mystery and wonder of the season is that in this darkest time of the year, we turn to hope. “Hope is the luxurious by-product of faith,” he said. “Faith that Santa will come, that dark nights lead to new and glorious mornings, that winter will turn to spring, and that giving trumps receiving every time.”

Winter Wonderland became much more than an offseason booster for Congress Hall. It attracted so many people to town that other local hotels and businesses began to open their doors in December. As for Cape May, it began appearing on travel magazine lists of America’s Best Towns for the Holidays.

Putting together this annual spectacular is a logistical challenge. For Cape Resorts Vice President of Operations Bob Haislip, it was a baptism of fire. He started with the company in mid-July of 2022, and was very quickly tasked with beginning the planning process for Winter Wonderland.

“That first year was a great learning experience,” says Bob. “It’s such a huge event with so many moving parts. The tree-lighting event is a monster… such a large crowd to manage and to provide services and amenities to.”

So, did it get a little frantic that first winter? “Absolutely! There were things that I over planned/overreacted to and things that I did not plan well enough and under-reacted to. We are always fine-tuning Winter Wonderland. The food selection, the flow of the Vendor Village, the timing of the entertainment… it literally is a moveable feast!”

Mighty challenge though it may be, the pay-off is worth it, says Bob. “Walking around this beautiful old property, illuminated by all those twinkling lights, and seeing so many happy faces… that’s pretty special.” So if he wasn’t up to his eyes in Winter Wonderland, what would Bob’s dream Christmas vacation look like? “A tropical beach! But I think it will be a while before I’m doing that. Now, if you excuse me, I have some elves to hire.”