Bring on the SantaCon

This time of year, when it comes to the jolly old elf, it appears there’s more than one secret to be kept. Not only do adults-with-kids need to tread the fine line about the origins (and residence) of Santa Claus himself – but also, adults of every ilk have to try to keep another secret: Thou shalt not talk about the details of SantaCon. This newspaper reporter will (hopefully) be forgiven for breaking rule #2 in order to get more Santas out for the party, but at least we won’t be breaking yet another rule: Don’t reveal the name of the organizer.

To prep for the arrival of a gaggle of Santas on the streets of Bend this weekend, I spoke with one of the people putting together this year’s event, who appears to be a jolly elf in his own right. On top of organizing this SantaCon, he and a group of friends are also the mystery group that for the past 15 years has decorated the trees on the trails at Shevlin Park, First Street Rapids and the Deschutes River Trail. (They also go back and clean up every January, he said.)

While he didn’t want to reveal his name for this story, “Santa” did share some particulars.

First, what the heck is SantaCon?

It’s an event that happens in many countries around the world, inviting Santas of every type to come out, relieve their stress before the big holiday and engage in obnoxious partying, singing and general merry-making. People dress as Santa, Mrs. Claus and elves – sometimes with racy or hilarious interpretations — and hop around town in a mobile bar crawl.

As Bend’s organizer told me, the pre-pandemic years of SantaCon were a raucous time. Several years back, an estimated 300 participants congregated in Drake Park for one big holiday blowout. Last year, by contrast, the party was decidedly tamer – in numbers, at least. This year’s organizers hope, by breaking the rules about talking to the media, that they’ll bring their numbers back to pre-pandemic levels.

In other words, they’re organizing this year’s SantaCon and spreading the word, “Because Bend could really use some Christmas cheer, more than ever.”

So what exactly are you supposed to wear?

“A Santa hat alone is not enough,” warns the SantaCon.info site. “You don’t have to dress exactly like Santa but the theme is red. That having been said, unusual interpretations of Santa-ness are often appreciated and Christmas trees, elves, reindeer themes etc. are all good.”

That leads into this article’s rule #4: If you see a kid while participating in SantaCon, remember that to them, you’re the “real deal,” and act accordingly. Some Santas even bring along gifts to give to kids, and other ones – “naughty or nice” ones – to give to adults.

Bend’s event starts outside The Commons Cafe and Taproom in Mirror Pond Plaza around 5pm on Saturday, Dec. 16. The group will pose for photos before moving around to various other downtown Bend locales – exact locations TBD. According to the website SantaCon.info, Dec. 16 is a popular night for SantaCon this year, with dozens of events planned for everywhere from Bali to Edmonton, Alberta.

Visit the SantaCon.info page to find out more about Bend’s event. There will be a lot of people smiling – and as this year’s organizer said, “Lots of people smiling makes you feel good.”

This article appears in Dec 13, 2023 – Dec 25, 2024.