Santa, a bounce house, a DJ and so much more all made their way to fill the soccer field on Dec. 16 for the first Tropical Holiday Fun-Fest at Marathon Community Park. The first of its kind for the Parks and Recreation department, the free event allowed families to come out and enjoy the type of community happenings that have gone missing since the COVID-19 pandemic. “We wanted to do something a lot bigger than what we normally do, since we’ve been in lockdown for so long,” said Parks and Recreation director Paul Davis. “To be honest, it was epic. The kids had fun, the parents had fun, and everyone had a smile on their face. That’s what we were hoping for, and we felt we were able to give the community what they needed.”
City manager George Garrett has a chat with Santa and Elfie. KYRSTYN RANSOM/Contributed 
Iris Robinson takes a turn on the bounce slide. KYRSTYN RANSOM/Contributed 
Dozens of families grace the soccer field and amphitheater at the Community Park. JASON KOLER/Keys Weekly
