SantaCon 2013-2019 Seattle

2013

It was Christmas time in 2013, and we had just moved from Eastern WA over to Everett on the west side of the state. We were excited to go shopping for the first time in Seattle and arrived downtown at 11am on Saturday. It was a cold but sunny day, and we were admiring all the window fronts as we explored Macy’s, Nordstroms, and many others. After an hour, these two country bumpkins were full-on enchanted by the Emerald City. James and I walked hand in hand, talking and laughing, and I thought to myself, “I’m living in one of my favorite Christmas songs!… “

“City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style... in the air, there’s a feeling of Christmas”

— Silver Bells Christmas Carol

Then something memorable happened! We were walking down Fourth Ave toward Pioneer Square when out of the corner of our eye, we saw someone in a bright red Santa suit run across the street a block west of us. No big deal, but a few moments later, we saw another Santa suit run across the road in the opposite direction. We walked another block, and suddenly we saw groups of Santas crossing streets at every corner! It felt like we had entered The Twilight Zone, and we laughed hysterically at the oddities in this big city. Then we crossed paths with a man dressed in full costume of an 18th century Father Christmas, I asked him why everyone was dressed up. “It’s SantaCon,” he replied, then hustled and bustled on his merry way... they all seemed to be going in the same direction.

“Where are they all going?” I asked James, who shrugged his shoulders. Needing answers, we followed! It didn’t take us long to figure out all the Santas were bar hopping! We walked into Fado’s where it was standing room only, and we were the only ones not wearing red suits. It was after noon, and so we swam through the sea of red to try and order a beer. While in line, Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” started playing, and with instant spontaneity, every single Santa started singing along! It was loud and fun, and as we joined in the chorus, we decided then and there that we would be attending this SantaCon thing next year!!

We went home that evening and googled the event, to discover it was a bigger deal than what we had even witnessed that afternoon. It had only just gotten started while we were singing at the bar. We had moved along to continue our shopping and sightseeing with a visit to Pike Street Market, but the Santa’s kept celebrating all night long and all over the world!

“An annual mass gathering of people dressed in Santa Claus costumes parading publicly on streets and inside locations in cities around the world. The focus is on spontaneity and creativity, while having a good time and spreading cheer and goodwill. ”

— Definition of SantaCon

2014

We made hotel reservations in 2014 for a weekend getaway to downtown Seattle for the next Santacon. Earlier that year, we had moved James’s parents in with us, and so before we left, we modeled our costumes for them. Maxine’s eyes went wide, and Jim burst out laughing, but both were joyfully amused and excited for us to have a good time. I had chosen to dress as a Mrs. Cowgirl Claus, and James had the full Santa suit complete with beard, wig, and a pillow for his belly.

We started at noon sharp and had a long walk in full costume to the first gathering listed on the facebook event schedule. We got lots of stares and comments as we rushed along the streets, hoping to see other Santas soon. Little kids waved and smiled at James, and he found himself having to play the part more than he anticipated, but jolly comes naturally to him. I was getting lots of compliments from women, children, and even a few drag queens that boosted my ego with praises of appreciation for my costume.

We finally made it to the park for group photos and caroling. We joined in, feeling high on life, sunshine, and Christmas joy. All of us Santas made a human tunnel for dancers to parade down, and I think I surprised James when I left him there so that I could dance down the middle myself. He laughed so hard with me as I shuffled by, swishing my dress with the music. We worked up a thirst that afternoon and inevitably started drinking beer pretty early. I can’t remember all the pubs we visited, just that it was fun. We did okay at pacing ourselves and remembered to eat dinner at some point and then street hot dogs later. We lasted that year until midnight, so 12 hours of Christmas cheer was pretty good for a couple of middle-aged Santas! Here are a few photos from our 2014 adventure!

2016

We could not make it the next year, but in 2016 we talked our good friends Phil and Linda into joining us! We upgraded our hotel experience to the Crowne Plaza and started a new tradition of mixing drinks in the rooms to get us started. After our homemade cocktails, we all walked to PF Changs, where we ate dinner. Then we tore up the town, dancing the night away at the clubs with thousands of Santas! Oh, and it’s worth mentioning to our fellow country rednecks that you are searched before going into these city nightclubs… you need to leave your pocket knife at home or check it at the door like Phil had to do! LOL

2017

The four of us had so much fun together that we scheduled a repeat in 2017. This year we convinced four more friends into joining our shenanigans, starting again at the Crowne Plaza. Phil was the designated Duck Meister as he mixed up shots of Duckfarts to toast the arrival of each couple when they knocked on our door. For those of you who have never had one, a Duckfart is a tasty concoction of layered alcohols, including Kahlua, Baileys Irish Cream, and Crown Royal.

This time the eight of us left the hotel to walk down to Pike Street to join in on the SantaCon schedule. Needless to say, we all felt the holiday spirit, and at some point, we skipped down the sidewalks singing carols, oblivious to the scene we were creating as the only Santas in sight.

We finally joined the other Santas, and the festivities continued late into the night. I took a selfie stick, and it’s funny how many strangers posed for pictures with us. I managed to capture many fun-filled moments from our evening and put together this crazy YouTube video starring Phil & Linda, Sean & Sarah, Bilhan & Heather, and ourselves:

Click here to watch 2017 video

Sharing adventures with your friends create lifelong memories, and this night was one we will never forget! We ate a fantastic dinner at Pike Street Brewing, where I tried my very first and now favorite Cuban sandwich. We then wandered from pub to pub and finally finished the night singing “Sweet Caroline” along with a live band. It felt like a full circle had come around from that very first time we stumbled upon the event.

2018

I shared all the stories of these fun adventures at SantaCon with my parents, who lived in Plummer, Idaho. By 2018 mom was 71, dad 69, and that summer, they sold their home to come live with us. When Christmas time arrived, they invested in their own full costumes for a SantaCon adventure! Dad also talked his brother Dennis Keller into flying to Seattle to dress up as Santa too! We booked our now annual room at the Crowne Plaza, which the Keller brothers kept calling the Crown Royal, as they worked on a private pre-party bottle with that same name.

We enjoyed a completely different SantaCon experience with this group. We all had Duckfarts again at the hotel, but Dennis continued buying shots downtown. We had a cinnamon whiskey at Pike Street Brewing and tequila with dinner somewhere else. We took the Kellers to the gum wall, where we all contributed a donation. I am not sure what time we got back to our rooms, but it was the record for our earliest return! We didn’t do any pacing at all and were ready to call it a successful night. Our YouTube video for this adventure still cracks me up… especially one part where all of us seem to be wandering aimlessly across a deserted street:

Click here to watch 2018 video

2019

This year James and I were on our own once again for our SantaCon adventure. We thought about skipping it but realized that we looked forward to our getaway very much. We seldom visit the city as our adventures focus mainly on outdoor activities. We like to joke about our versatility in being able to shovel horse manure at home in the morning and by evening walk among the skyscrapers in the big city. We packed up our costumes Saturday morning and headed South. Both of James’s parents are gone now, and so we have a new tradition to stop and place a Christmas decoration on their grave located at Crown Hill Cemetery in Seattle.

Next, we ate our favorite chowder and drank a beer at The Lockspot Cafe, where we sat up at the bar and reminisced about past adventures in Seattle. At last, it was time to check into our room. I always reserve one with a view of the Space Needle, and each year I am so happy that I did. This one night has become our one luxurious day to embrace a different lifestyle. You would think we were there for a week with all the luggage we haul around with us! We have our costumes and clothes in a suitcase, our personals in a bathroom bag, soda and juice mixers in a cooler, and the most treasured item… a travel bar that used to belong to James’s dad, Jim True.

James is in charge of mixing our drinks while I shower and get ready. It is our tradition to listen to the Dean Martin Christmas station on Pandora during this time, and dance together whenever we cross paths in the room. We toast with a Manhattan to the life of James’s Uncle Johnny, who introduced the drink to us, and we promise each other to continue living life to the fullest in honor of those we loved who are no longer with us.

This year we chose comfortable costumes to wear for our night out on the town. I enjoy picking a different outfit each year, and this is the first time I wore leggings with a sweater, while James wore his Santa blazer with a cowboy hat. We headed for Pike Place Market, where the organizers would take a group photo. Each year they create an event page on Facebook and post the schedule for the day. This year about 4,000 people participated according to the app!

We decided to start a new tradition and purchased two large hot cocoas to go, and then poured a mini bottle of Fireball into each one to enjoy as we walked along the waterfront. It was just approaching twilight and the lights of the Seattle Great Wheel highlighted a perfect evening stroll. We checked in at our favorite Irish pub, the Owl' ‘n Thislte for two beers with our fellow Santas, then ate dinner at the Pike Street Brewing. We wandered and explored all evening and then splurged on desert at the Thirteen Coins. We laughed, sang carols, and sometimes rans wild through the streets… all captured on this year’s YouTube video:

Click here to watch 2019 video

Some adventures are worth repeating, and there’s often comfort found in traditions. We will continue this one, I’m sure… although we may be able to visit other participating cities someday. Wherever we end up, it’s us that create the adventure itself. Sometimes it’s just a matter of terminology and a frame of mind that no matter what we are doing, we call it an adventure and find the fun in it. We hope you find the fun offered in every day you are given and choose to call it an adventure! And if you ever want to join us for SantaCon, we would welcome the company! #JACTventures - GO DO IT!