The Grinch Visits Gourmet Goodies During 5th Annual Grinchmas
by James Coulter
The Grinch took time out of his busy schedule stealing Christmas from the Whos in Whoville to stop by Gourmet Goodies in Winter Haven and meet and take photos with his adoring fans.
On Sunday, Gourmet Goodies hosted its fifth annual Grinchmas celebration. Young children and their families lined up outside the store and around the block to meet the Grinch himself and take photos with him. Afterward, they had the opportunity to peruse the store and its many cookies, cake pops, and other baked goods.
This year, the festivities extended outside the store and across the street at Central Park, where attendees could visit various arts and crafts vendors, have their faces painted, and crawl around on play structures.
Grinchmas started in 2017 as a small holiday promotion for Gourmet Goodies. The event was postponed in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year expanded the fun and festivities to the park across the street.
“We want it to be bigger and better,” Arianna Drainville, Operations Manager of Gourmet Goodies. “Go big or go home. We have a big community here in Florida, we can reach out to more people and make it as big as possible to reach out to as many people from Winter Haven, Lake Wales, Lakeland, and all over Polk County.”
Drainville owes their success to their followers on social media including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. She loves being able to see so many people come together to usher in the holidays early.
“They support us and we would not be who we are today without the fans,” she said. “I love the kids and the smiles and the joy that everyone is Enjoying on Christmas spirit and having a blast seeing all those little smiles.”
Gourmet Goodies is located at 68 4th St NW, Winter Haven, FL 33881. For more information, visit their website at: ggcupcake.com.
