By Maya Mackey | Inglewood Today
Black Santa and Mrs. Claus came to town this past weekend! The Third Annual Winterfest at Hollywood Park & Casino took place on December 7th. Festivities ran all day long with a Farmers’ Market in the morning, live music from Kinder Fiddles and Musicians at Play and the Inglewood High Marching Band. There was also a pet adoption hour sponsored by Lovejoy Foundation Pet Rescue and a Photo Opp with Mr. and Mrs. Claus!
The daylong event culminated in a Celebrity Pickle Ball tournament hosted by Baron Davis! Pickleball, often described as a combination of tennis, Ping-Pong and badminton, grew nearly 40 percent between 2019 and 2021, making it America’s fastest-growing sport, reports The New York Times. A phenomenon for the 55+ crowd, Pickleball is keeping our seasoned citizens active and engaged in community.
Adult attendees enjoyed the brand new Meeting Spot bar/patio while the kiddies got to practice perfecting their basketball shots and football throws in inflatable sports centers. A DIY Christmas Cookie design center was also in the mix for holiday fun. The Inglewood Sentinels’ Marching Band was presented with a $25,000 reward to sponsor their trip to Washington D.C. to compete in the 2025 National Independence Day Parade.
Attendees fled to the Hollywood Park Casino Instagram account to make it known publicly what a blast they had! Shuree Danyell said “We enjoyed it!! Thank You!” and On the Wall LA, an online retail company, commented, “We had so much fun!”