WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – The Garden Theatre in Winter Garden is on the verge of reopening after its unexpected closure in late 2024. City commissioners are set to select a new manager for the beloved venue, signaling the return of a variety of productions to downtown.
For longtime Winter Garden resident Suzanne Knoblich, the theatre has been a cornerstone of family life for years.
“I’ve lived here for 10 years, and I’ve had kids who were part of the Winter Garden camp when they used to have summer camp and then part of some of the productions and have always come and supported and been to a lot of their shows and things,” she said.
[WATCH: Garden Theatre in Winter Garden shuts down without warning]
The theatre’s sudden closure left Knoblich and many others stunned after the former operator dissolved due to financial issues.
“It was shocking. You had no idea. I had no idea that they were in trouble or that anything was going on. And I was just like, why? Because I had seen the list of the shows and thought, ‘oh, we’ll go see that one and that one and that one,’” she said.
Winter Garden previously approved a plan to revive the venue, which includes plays, movies, concerts, camps and one-off performances tied to downtown festivities. Under the new agreement, city-led programming would have priority access, and the city would sign off on all productions, a move aimed at keeping the theatre’s family-friendly atmosphere intact.
Commissioners are expected to select DNA Event Creative as the theatre’s new presenting partner. The company declined to discuss its plans ahead of the city commission meeting but indicated it would speak publicly once a decision was made. If approved, DNA Event Creative would take over the theatre immediately.
[WATCH: Winter Garden proposes new plan for historic Garden Theatre]
For residents like Melissa Button, the news is a welcome development.
“I’m always looking for something to do. So, a community production, I mean, they’re bringing in so many different things. And it’s nice to have culture in an area and expose people to things that they probably wouldn’t be exposed to normally,” Button said.