Winter Wonderland at Yankee Stadium brings joy and gifts to Bronx children

THE BRONX (PIX11) — Yankee Stadium transformed into the North Pole Friday as the 15th annual Winter Wonderland event welcomed thousands of children in the Bronx for an unforgettable night of holiday cheer. 

The stadium’s Great Hall became a magical winter haven filled with sparkling decorations, Santa and Mrs. Claus greeting eager children, and a live performance by the Renaissance Youth Center Choir. 

The night's highlight was the giveaway of 6,000 toys—from action figures to dolls and more—which brought smiles to children like Carlson Antigua, who picked out a Star Wars lightsaber. In the spirit of giving, he plans to pay the generosity forward. 

“It’s not even for me,” Antigua said. “I’m going to give it to my little cousin ‘cause I already got a lot of stuff. I got to give back.”

Julia Steinbrenner of the New York Yankees Foundation hopes to ease the burden on parents this holiday season and bring a little extra joy to their families.

“So many people are struggling right now,” said Steinbrenner.

She added, “To be able to just have kids come in here and choose something off their Christmas list and be able to take it home early and open it and be excited and feel that Christmas joy is really special.”

Sylvia Ortega echoed those sentiments as she picked out a special toy for her 10-month-old daughter, excited to make her little one’s holiday extra special. 

“We got a big-ticket item, so it’s always nice to not have to pay for that one,” Ortega said. 

Children left not only with gifts but also with cherished memories of a night that brought the community together.