At an Altamonte Springs commission meeting in early September, one resident held up a long scroll listing every book she had read since kindergarten. ClickOrlando reported that residents packed the chambers that night to argue against a round of proposed cuts. Two items were on the table. One was the city library. The other was Red Hot & Boom, the Fourth of July fireworks show at Cranes Roost Park.
At the final budget hearing on Sept. 16, the library got another year of funding and Red Hot & Boom did not. That changes the city's calendar at the lake. Light Up the Holidays is set for Saturday, Dec. 5, and it is now the city event at Cranes Roost whose listing still promises fireworks.
Why the July show ended after 29 years
City Manager Frank Martz left Red Hot & Boom out of the fiscal 2027 budget. He pointed to rising costs, inflation and the work of staging an event for more than 200,000 people. According to ClickOrlando, the Independence Day show cost nearly $950,000 in 2026, and sponsorships covered only a fraction of that. Here is how Martz put it in a memo the station quoted:
"The event has outgrown its venue; requires months of staff planning and causes disruptions to local businesses. Given these challenges and the high cost for this five-hour event, the 2027 budget does not include Red Hot & Boom."
The commission adopted that budget. Spectrum News 13 reported it passed with no money for Red Hot & Boom. Martz explained the timing to FOX 35: "After 29 years, it was time to retire that." He pointed to the 220,000 people the show drew and called it "a perfect time after the 250th celebration of our country to take a step back."
FOX 35 reported that city officials are considering replacement community events, and that any future celebrations in place of Red Hot & Boom will not include fireworks. WFTV reported that Martz did not rule out private donors paying for the show. That remains a possibility, and no sponsor has been named.
What the Dec. 5 listing promises
That leaves the holiday kickoff. The city's Light Up the Holidays listing runs from 5 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, at Cranes Roost Park. The City of Altamonte Springs and Duke Energy present it together. Here's what the listing describes:
- More than one million lights across the park
- A 60-foot Christmas tree decorated with thousands of ornaments
- Live music and festive entertainment
- Appearances by Santa and Mrs. Claus
- A fireworks display
Admission is free, and food and drinks are sold on site. The city lists the address as 274 Cranes Roost Park, Altamonte Springs, FL 32701. For questions before the night, the events office is at 407-571-8180 or [email protected].
The listing calls the evening the city's way to "light up Cranes Roost Park and kick off the holiday season together." Its fireworks are the ones on the city's calendar for this lake, and the replacement events the city has discussed for July will not have any.
The Cranes Roost calendar from now through mid-December
Dec. 5 isn't the only date at the lake. The city's calendar fills the next five weeks with smaller events. Two are free city events, and two are organizations renting the plaza.
| Date | Event | Time | Where at Cranes Roost | Listed as |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu., Nov. 12 | Ali's Hope Annual Glassful of Hope | 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. | Plaza & Tower, 274 Cranes Roost Blvd. | Rental event |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Florida Together in TEAL Walk | 8 a.m. to noon | 274 Cranes Roost Blvd. | Rental event |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Light Up the Holidays | 5 to 9 p.m. | Cranes Roost Park | City event, free |
| Thu., Dec. 10 | Holiday Movie Night: The Polar Express | 7 to 9 p.m. | Plaza near the fountain and tower | City event, free |
Glassful of Hope is Thursday evening, Nov. 12. The TEAL walk takes the morning of Saturday, Nov. 14. The Polar Express screening comes five days after the tree lighting, on a weeknight, at the plaza by the fountain.
In its Oct. 7 minutes, the commission noted that National Night Out and Hola at the Park at Cranes Roost had recently gone well. Neither was on the list of cuts. Without the July show, the lake's year is made of evenings this size, and Dec. 5 is the largest of them.
Dinner within sight of the tree
The listing says food and drinks will be sold in the park. If you'd rather sit down before or after the lighting, a few restaurants are right on the lake or a short walk from it.
- Café Murano. This Italian restaurant describes itself as lakeside at Cranes Roost Park. It takes reservations and hosts music on weekends, and on a night when the park fills by 5 p.m., a reservation is the step to handle early.
- Little Greek Fresh Grill, 155 Cranes Roost Blvd. Its posted Saturday hours run 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., so on Dec. 5 it closes at the same hour the city event ends. It also takes orders online, which helps if you want to pick up food on the way in.
- Five Guys, 229 E. Altamonte Dr. The Uptown Altamonte store is listed on the Cranes Roost Blvd. side and offers dine-in and takeout.
Farther east on the SR 436 corridor, Orlando Weekly reported that Oh Que Bueno plans to open an Altamonte Springs location before the end of 2026. It will be at 1049 E. Altamonte Drive, in the space that used to be Bubbalou's Bodacious BBQ.
The other decision from Sept. 16
The same vote that retired the fireworks also funded the library, with conditions. Spectrum News 13 reported that more than 15 people spoke for the library at the final hearing. The amended budget raised its funding from $266,326 to $500,000, enough to keep it running through Sept. 30, 2027. According to the Sept. 16 minutes, the commission adopted that amendment unanimously. FOX 35 reported that the overall budget, just under $122 million, keeps the city's property tax rate unchanged.
The funding comes with a deadline. The amendment directs the city to invite nonprofit and for-profit groups to submit plans to run the library. Spectrum reported that if no proposal is offered or accepted, the library would stop operating after that. On Oct. 7, the commission unanimously approved the terms for that search. The October minutes set this schedule:
- Questions from interested operators due Jan. 13, 2027
- Proposals due Feb. 26, 2027
- The selected operator takes over no later than Sept. 30, 2027
Martz told Spectrum News 13 what the city hopes for over the coming months: "nonprofits, very interested parties, people who are very interested in seeing the libraries survive and thrive, but also the potential of having private sector operators who have experience doing this." Proposals are due Feb. 26, 2027, which leaves the library's longer-term future undecided through this holiday season.
If Light Up the Holidays and the Polar Express night are on your December plans, I'm glad to point you toward my favorite spots around Cranes Roost, or to talk through anything else on your mind about life in Altamonte Springs. Diane Sterling is always a call or email away. Let's Connect.
