LA Santacon

Save the Date: Santacon is December 9, 2023

We interrupt your Halloween festivities to announce that Los Angeles Santacon will happen on Saturday, December 9, 2023. (The second Saturday of December.)

It’s a metro year, so get your TAP card and start thinking about comfy shoes.

RSVP on Facebook, if that’s your thing.

Also, I don’t know about you, but as an OG Santa, I normally throw my Santa outfit together a day or two before Santacon. This year, I’m thinking maybe it’s time for a new Santa suit. (I can barely fit into my almost 20 year old Santa jacket - and those pants - they are long long gone.)

How’s the state of your Santa suit?

Anyway, get to thinking about what Holiday attire you’re gonna wear come December 9. Classic Santa suit is as OG Cacophony as it gets - especially if you order it from the Oriental Trading Company. (The original cheapsuit Santa was $19.99.) Which back in the day, was something you had to plan for months in advance (unless you had a friend who bulk ordered them.) I’ve heard the quality has gone down and the price has gone up, so buyer beware.)

“Anyone can be a Santa. All it takes is a red suit and a white beard and strangers will treat you like a rich uncle. Ever notice how Santa’s got a lot of aliases? Kris Kringle, Father Christmas, Saint Nick…if anyone else had that many aka’s, what would you think?” (source)

Whether you plan your Holiday attire or throw it together at the last minute (Target has come through for me in the past) we will see you and your comfy footwear on Saturday, December 9th, starting probably around Noon, near a Metro station.

Ho ho ho!

2022 Santacon is a Sleigh Year

Santa is sleighing on Saturday, December 10, 2022. Start time is our regular Noon!

Some of my very best Santacons have been sleigh years. There was the year I had pizza’s delivered to the sleighs. Who delivers hot pizza to a school bus full of Santas? Then there was the year we stashed cases of adult beverages under the seats (at the start of the route). Then the year we drove down Hollywood and Sunset Blvds singing Jolly songs. There was the year our sleighs arrived at just the perfect time to disappear from the police Helicopters flying over the Grove! 

Santa overwhelmingly wants to sleigh! That means, you'll need a sleigh pass. We’ve tried to keep costs down, but as previously mentioned, sleigh fees more than doubled over the past year. We're also using a new payment/ticketing system to keep transaction fees down.

• We have a limited number of early bird sleigh passes available for $25. (Sorry, early bird sold out via the list this am)

• Regular sleigh passes are $30.

• Sleigh pass packages with the sleigh pass, a Santa ID and Sticker are $40.

• Sleigh pass package + $10 donation to low income fund are $50.

To request a low income sleigh pass, contact the [email protected].

Stay tuned for more details, but get your ticket soon!

Santacon 2022 is

Santacon 2022 is on December 10, 2022. Save the date, more details soon.

Start Location, Route Details for Los Angeles Santacon 2021

Cross posted from the substack email.

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Seasons Greetings Santa,

Here are the details for tomorrow - December 18. The red tide begins at Noon! Due to Covid and the new variant, we are going to be 100% transparent with the route in this email.

• If you don’t feel well, stay home.

• Please attend any stop that you feel comfortable doing so. We can be safe by staying in the outdoor spaces, wearing a mask and socially distancing (and get your booster - I did!).

• Wear a mask, bring your vax card, be cool.

• Tip the bartenders. Be kind, it’s been a hard couple years for us all.

• The route is set up to take the Metro, but take whatever transportation you feel most comfortable with.

• Wear warm clothes and comfortable walking shoes.

• Bring cash and small bills to tip/pay your bills.

• Remember, the answer is SANTA!

• The other classic rules.

• We’ll be updating the route via LA Santa on Twitter.

Start location: Bonaventure Brewing Company, 4th floor (Noon-2:30pm)
404 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Metro stop: Pershing Square or Civic Center/Grand Park (red and purple lines)
The Bonaventure Brewing Company is on the 4th floor outdoor patio of the Bonaventure Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. It can be tricky to get to it. There is an exterior entrance off Flower street. Otherwise enter the hotel at any entrance, and take the stairs to the 4th floor. There will be hot appetizers available on the patio, but if you want to eat a meal, it is suggested to arrive between Noon and 1pm as there is limited kitchen staff. There is plenty of outdoor space and room for social distancing. And of course several bars for Santa and I have also personally requested Santa’s favorite La Croix.

Second Stop: Barnsdall Park, 3-4:45pm (we leave after Sunset!)
4800 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Metro stop: Vermont and Sunset (red line)
We know several of you will only come to this stop. We will have reindeer games and other activities. Santa will be at the top of the park. Look for Santa. If you’re the first there, Santa will be there soon.
- There are several venues in the Los Feliz area if you need to refresh yourself. But we suggest waiting to the next stop.

Third stop: St. Felix in Hollywood (5:30pm - you can’t ho no mo)
1602 N Cahuenga Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028
Metro stop: Hollywood & Vine (red line)
John at St. Felix has been a Santacon fan for years and is opening up his awesome venue for Santas exclusively. There is an outdoor patio, we’ll have a parklet, a photo op location and food and drink specials. He’s really done Santa a solid this year and his venue is gorgeous.

Later stops: We consciously kept this a short and sweet Santacon, but figure that Hollywood has plenty of things to do and places to go if you’re ready to move on. Be safe, have fun, and see you tomorrow at Noon at the Bonaventure! I am so excited to bring Santa back there.

Ho!

-Santa Vescent

ps. I know it’s scary with the new variant and it’s ok if you decide to stay home. The Santacon team takes covid seriously and has made every effort to keep the event happening this year AND be as safe as we can. Get your boosters, wear a mask, socially distance, and feel free to only come to the park stop, St. Felix or take your own transportation.

pps. You can still donate if you haven’t (Santa also takes cash on the day of and drinks of appreciation.)

$25 level donation
$10 level donation
$100 level donation

Santa on Substack - Announcing LA Santacon 2021

Santa has set up a substack. Go read all about Santa there and join the list! Read on for the first details!

• Metro year
• Saturday, December 18th, Noon start time, downtown
• Please donate for SNOW! (Donation links below)
• Subscribe to the list

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Greetings and Salutations,

This is SantaVescent and I want to thank you for your interest and support of Santacon of years past. There has been overwhelming desire for us to hold a Santacon in Los Angeles this year, and we are doing it!

It’s a metro year, so we aren’t selling official tickets, but you can donate below. Santa is planning to bring snow for the snowball fight, get reindeer games supplies, pay our DJs (and maybe even a live band), and gogo dancers, and well we need to replenish our petty cash for all the other unplanned expenses.

Saturday, December 18th
Starts at Noon, at an iconic downtown location
RSVP on (hated) facebook

PS. In an effort to keep costs down, Santa is migrating off MailChimp, who wanted to charge us $60 a month to send you emails a few times a year. We’re gonna try this newsletter thing. You can become a paid subscriber if you want. Or you can make a donation. Or you can BYOHoliday Cheer. We like to keep Santacon accessible regardless of your financial situation, and we also ask that you support our entirely volunteer team if you are in a position to do so.

Donation links
$25 donation
$10 donation
$100 donation (a few of you said you’d donate at this level)

If you want to donate a different amount, get in touch with Santa Vescent or just hit reply. If you donate, I’m hoping to have something special for you, as we’ve done in years past.

See you on December 18th, 2021! More details unveiled soon.

Ho Ho Ho... Santacon 2020 Details are here

It’s a Choose Your Own Adventure, DIY Santacon. This means, it's up to you to get your Santa on - whether at home, safely outside wearing a mask (& following state orders) or however you choose. There is an optional Scavenger Hunt and an interactive way to updated your Santa ID with Santa Cheese. And I've been told you can even go live in the facebook group.

• When: Saturday 12/12/2020, 12 Noon to 5pm
• Where: your home!, 2020 Event group on Facebook, LA Santa on Twitter, Santacon on Instagram, your safe outdoor adventures
• Call Santa on the Bureau of Kringle Regulation Hotline: 1-833-4-KRINGLE
• Participate in the Scavenger Hunt
• Hashtag: #LASantacon2020

Read on for details on the Scavenger Hunt and the Bureau of Kringle Regulation!

 

Santa’s Scavenger Hunt

Find items to fit the categories above on your own or with a small group. Santa even has the following prizes! See more details on this post!

1. 1st to Finish all 20 items
2. Best of "Creative Santa"
3. Best of "Misc. Santa"
4. Best of "Out & About Santa"
5. Best of "Santa, Find a ____"
6. Best of "Stay at Home Santa."

If you are playing via email, submissions are sent to [email protected]. If you are playing via the Facebook group you *must* add a Post Topic to your submissions to make it easier for Admin Santa to find (see pinned Announcement post for how to do that). 

“Best Of” winners will be decided by the post with the most reactions by 5pm on 12/12.

The Bureau of Kringle Regulation is Back!

Santa Cheese and the Bureau of Kringle Regulation have something special for you this year! They will be available ALL DAY to renew your Santa License or issue one for the first time!

Visit www.kringleregulation.com during the event for the link to connect with them. The Bureau has finagled access to the big jolly fucker himself and setup a SANTA HOTLINE where you can talk to Santa directly! Call 1-833-4-KRINGLE anytime on Saturday and let him know how naughty you’ve been this year.

 

2020 Scavenger Hunt Details

We're excited to invite you to participate in the LA Santacon 2020 Scavenger Hunt. You must don Holiday attire. Find items that fit the following categories to win prizes. Details below.

Category: Creative Santa

• Throwback: Make a photo collage of yourself from different Santacons.
  How many times have you attended Santacon? Show us with a photo collage! It can be a digital collage or a physical one; however you must include the year with each photo.
• Music & Moves: Give us a musical and/ or dance performance as Santa.
  Show us Santa's dance moves or singing chops! Solo or group performances allowed!
• Candy Cane Sculpture: Build a sculpture out of candy canes.
  The sky's the limit when you build with sugar! Using candy canes, build the most interesting or impressive sculpture that you can and share it with us!
• Crafts: Make a paper Santa-onna-stick.
  Draw, collage or otherwise craft a paper Santa face, glue him to a popsicle stick or twig and plant him somewhere around your home or neighborhood.

Category: Misc. Santa

• Generous: Give a really generous tip.
  Tis the season for being extra jolly, so give your barista/ bartender/ birthday clown an extra big tip! The amount can be proportional to what you bought (ex, $10 for a coffee, $100 for a nice meal for 2); please remember to blur or crop out any cc or other important info!
• Holiday Card: Write or read a holiday card or Letter to Santa.
  Write a holiday card to a loved one, or read one that you've received. No cards? Then read a letter to Santa.
• Santawich: Santa needs lunch! Eat a sandwich.
  Did Santa forget to eat before starting Santacon? Classic mistake! Chow down on a sandwich or other lunch item!
• Move: Do a fun physical activity- yoga, hike, surf, skate, etc.
  Santa's on the move! Go for a hike, ride a bike, or a horse, or go ice or roller skating, skateboarding or surfing, trampoline jumping, whatever, and get a video of Santa in action!

Category: Out & About Santa

• Abbey Road: Recreate the Beatles’ famous album cover.
  Help! I need someone... to take a photo at a quiet street crossing of your team members recreating the Beatles’ famous album cover.
• Carwash: Take your car through the carwash as Santa.
  At the carwash, hohohohoho! Get a picture or video of yourself driving through a carwash (or doing a handwash at home) while in costume!
• Local Love: Support a local business (delivery is ok).
  Support your local family-owned whatever! If you're staying home, have something delivered from a local place, but please don't use an app if the biz will deliver directly!
• Sporty Santa: Recreate a famous moment in sports history.
  Recreate an iconic moment in sports history as Santa. Billie Jean King's win? The Dodgers World Series victory? Your choice, but make it great!

Category: Santa, Find A _____

• Beverage: Show us what you're drinking!
  Mix up a fancy cocktail or crack a PBR- we want to see what you're drinking and how you're drinking it.
• Chimney: Just show us one, don't try to climb in, ok, Santa?
  Santa's favorite entrance and exit is the chimney, so find one! But don't try to climb in- that only works on Xmas eve!
• Street Art: Find a mural that has your city's/ neighborhood's name.
  Santa + Street Art? Yes please! Find a mural that names the place where you are & take a photo with it as Santa.
• Tree: Hug a tree or show off a decorated one.
  Santa loves trees, so find one and give it a hug, or show off its festive decorations!

Category: Stay-At-Home Santa

• Bake-Off: Bake or cook something as Santa.
  Channel your inner Mary Berry or Swedish Chef and show us your mad skills in the kitchen!
• Green-thumb: Garden as Santa- plant, prune or pluck weeds.
  Monty Don would be so proud of your succulents and veg patch! Do some weeding or pruning, or get your fingers in some dirt!
• Indoors: Read a book, play a game, do a puzzle, etc.
  Lockdown or no, some Santas are basically indoor cats. Show us Santa doing at-home activities, like reading a book, baking, playing a board game or video game, chilling on the couch with your pets, etc.
• Smol Santa: Dress your pet or plant in a holiday costume.
  Show us your kitties!!! And/ or puppies, birds, fish, etc! Dress them in holiday attire and try to get evidence before they draw blood.

The Many Possibilities of Santacon 2020

Greetings Santa,

It’s the time of year when we normally start planning for our December hijinks, but 2020 has been a strange year. We are not quite ready to write it off and cancel the event. The Santas not in charge have been brainstorming ways to celebrate our favorite holiday socially distanced. Take the survey here.

We want to stress that Covid is a serious danger, and we want to take appropriate precautions to reduce the spread. However we also acknowledge that social distancing and wearing masks and being outside is not without risk, but potentially reduces risk. Here are some options for Santacon 2020. 

1. Decentralized Santacon: We decide to celebrate Santacon on a certain day but there is no centralized meeting point, or series of activities - like going to bars or restaurants. Instead, we dress up on the day, and be Santa. Maybe Santa is going on a hike, or to the beach, or to have lunch or the farmers market, or the grocery story, or a park, or any of the many socially distanced activities we’ve had to invent. One idea is that we have a map where Santa will be, which neighborhoods, or farmers markets, or outdoor restaurants, and Santa may see other Santas and say HO, in a socially distant way.
2. Virtual Santacon: we do Santacon all virtually with Twitch and Zoom and maybe some live streaming. You get dressed up as Santa and we party at home.
3. Socially Distanced Santacon: Santa meets IRL but in a safe socially distanced way. We take our inspiration from drive in movies, raves and socially distanced parks. 
   1. Drive-In Santa: One idea is to find a brewery with a parking lot and show a drive in movie, food and drink is available for purchase, you stay in your socially distanced stalls, wear a mask outside. 
   2. BYO Santacon Picnic: Another idea is to have Santacon for a short period of time at a large park where we can be socially distanced. Maybe Pan Pacific Park or Not a Cornfield AKA Los Angeles State Historic Park. Socially distant spaces are delineated and Santa stays within them. There are socially distant games (bring your own megaphone) like tree tosses, or a photo booth. Think of it as a BYOEverything Santa picnic, likely during the day from 1-5pm.
   3. Safety First: Best Covid Santa: The best socially distanced Santa costumes or set-ups get a prize! Maybe we even have a socially distant costume contest. Sit on socially distanced Santa’s lap. 
   4. IMPORTANT NOTE: Not all of the Santa’s not in charge are comfortable with a socially distanced event. We are concerned that even suggesting the possibility of one could be interpreted negatively and result in backlash. By including this option we are in no way suggesting this is what we plan to do. But we also know there are safety measures to reduce risk, wearing a mask, being outside, staying 6 feet apart. In other words, if my BFF/Santa in Charge worked at the coffee shop she manages in Santa Monica (where people fought her wearing a mask) through the whole pandemic and she didn't get Covid, maybe we can have a safe socially distanced event. At the same time, we know not everyone follows good practices, and everyone has different levels of comfort. And when Santa drinks, he may take risks that are even more risky with Covid floating around. 
   5. Finally: While Santa loves to push the edges of the law, Covid is no joke. The Santa’s not in charge will monitor the changing tier level of LA County and adjust any activities to comply with local and state regulations (Santa can’t believe she just wrote that!). 
4. Hybrid/Combo: Some kind of hybrid combination of the above.
5. And of course, we could cancel it. Personally, I’m hopeful we can figure out a way to celebrate the Holidaze the way we like best in a safe way.    

Santacon is for all of us. I always look forward to December, when I get to see you all in your best costumes, and maybe bring a fresh boyfriend to annoy the clowns. (No chance of that this year, Covid dating is not fun, Santa is single again.)

So hit reply, and let Santa know what you think and how you want to participate. You can also email us at [email protected].

Ho!

-Santavescent + All the Santa’s not in Charge

Santa, Santa, Santa, Santa, Santa, Santa, Santa, Santa, Santa, Santa, Santa & Santa

Santacon 2019 Start Location

Santacon starts at LA Live: Santacon starts at 11am on Saturday, December 7, 2019 at Tom's Urban, 1011 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles. Park at your closest metro station and take the Red or Purple Metro Line to 7th Street/Metro Station and walk three blocks south to LA Live.

• Follow @LASanta on Twitter for locations throughout the day, especially if you are arriving late. 
• RSVP, so we know you are coming, you can also check in on the Facebook page through the day.
• Bring cash in small bills, hydration, an umbrella and your holiday cheer. 
• Buy your own all day TAP card + metro pass.

First time?

• Find yourself some festive holiday attire.
• Familiarize yourself with the rules.
• The start location is always announced the day before the event - December 6th, 2019. But if you read this, it's gonna start downtown. 
• All announcements are made first via this email list, then through our twitter feed and on the book of faces.

Remember to follow the rules. And the answer is always SANTA!

Santacon 2019 Announce date

Dust off your Santa suits, it's that time of year again. Santacon 2019 is on Saturday December 7, 2019, at 11am. RSVP on Facebook.

UPDATE: It's a METRO year after all. Just get a metro day pass and look for the start location announcement. 

2019 is Sleigh Pass Year
You need to purchase a sleigh pass for $15 (after Nov 20, 2019, sleigh passes will be $20). Paypal using "Friends and Family" or we it will be refunded. Please note the real name and Santa name if you are purchasing for more than one person. PS. Sleigh costs have increased! 

First time?

• Is this your first Santacon? We wish you a very jolly welcome! 
• Find yourself festive holiday attire.
• Familiarize yourself with the rules.
• Plan to get a sleigh pass (~$15 this year, final price available soon). 
• The start location is always announced the day before the event - December 6th, 2019.
• All announcements are made first via this email list, then through our twitter feed and on the book of faces.

* * * Submit a Header Image * * * 
Santa is looking for a new header image for this email. Got one? Send it in an email to [email protected]. Make sure it is "Safe for Work" and we have permission for use it.

--> 2019 Santa IDs <--
If you do not have a Santa ID or yours has expired Santa Cheese from the Bureau of Kringle Regulation has you covered. Donate $15 to get a sparkly new ID along with your sleigh pass for the event. You must email Santa Cheese a photo, your name, and your Santa name to [email protected] BEFORE November 20th.

Got questions? Just ask.