About 20,000 people descend on NYC once a year in December for this annual event, bringing toys for Toys for Tots and bringing truckloads of canned food to the event.
Once they 'pay' their admission, Santas are free to roam. Some walk as couples, some in small groups, but many wander the city streets in herds singing Christmas carols. Some even shepherd their own generator-powered boom box down the bumpy sidewalks, Christmas music blaring. That is, until the police stop that fun. Can't have a generator in the open city without a permit. Darn.
On Friday, December 21, Santacon comes to Harrisburg, when the celebration starts at 7 p.m. on the Capitol steps.
Most people would call the event a bar crawl, that is, wandering from bar to bar all day. But the official Santacon website insists that it is not, and every time someone says it is, a sugarplum fairy dies. The website also conveniently shows different regions of Manhattan, a schedule of what time the Santas should be there, and the locations of the bars. Convenient.
Still, I haven't seen any cases of violence or bad tempered Santas. The website is very clear about Santacon etiquette . Every single Santa I met has been friendly, happy, mannerly and excited to be there. That's not to say there aren't problems. Maybe that's toward the end of the day when Santa has one too many eggnogs. At least one website has suggested Santacon won't be allowed back next year. And that's too bad. From the Santacon website-- Please remember that this is all about having fun. Most santas like to take their fun with a little alcohol which is fine. What is not fine, however, is getting completely -----faced to the point that santas end up being abusive or violent. Remember that there is no "bail fund" for incarcerated santas and if you cross the line you'll be on your own.
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