If you’ve ever wondered what a sea of Santas looks like, this Saturday is your chance to find out. The 3rd Annual SantaCon is set to take Ocean City by storm, and if last year’s turnout is any indication, this year’s SantaCon should be a veritable Santa throw-down of epic proportions.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with SantaCon, here’s a crash course on the event. Each December, cities across the country select a day when adults dress as Santa and embark on a day of bar hopping and merriment. The first SantaCon took place in San Francisco in 1994 and was sponsored by The San Francisco Cacophony Society, with the inspiration hailing from a San Francisco adventure club called The Suicide Club. After hearing about a Danish political group dressing as Santas and mobbing a Copenhagen department store, The Suicide Club decided to form their own, non-political mob of Santas to flock downtown San Francisco as a prank of sorts. Flash forward to 94’ when the Cacophony Society decided to revive the idea, sparking what would eventually grow to a nationwide, annual event.
This is the third year for SantaCon in Ocean City, which means locals and visitors will descend on the resort town Saturday to collectively let loose and have a little fun, all in the spirit of Old St. Nick. SantaCon starts at 2pm at the 28th Street Pit & Pub. From there, Santas will travel downtown, with stops at many of your favorite downtown Ocean City watering holes.
Perhaps our favorite part – besides the swarm of Santas taking over downtown – is that the event is a charitable one. Santas are charged with giving gifts to the Worcester County Humane Society and the Assateague Coastal Trust. Santa Claws encourages you to bring your Humane Society donations with you to the Pit & Pub Saturday at 2pm.
With so many Santas set to blow through our resort town this Saturday, there are a few ground rules to consider. The following are the official SantaCon Ocean City Guidelines:
- Santa does not make children cry. Really, if you see kids, don’t do anything to freak them out. Give them a nice smile and possibly a gift of some kind (toys, candy etc). Parents and tourists are a different matter altogether – adjust your behavior based on their attitude.
- Santa dresses for all occasions. It’s December. Smart santas wear multiple costume layers. Dress to maximize merriment whether singing Christmas carols in the snow, or swinging from a stripper pole in a hot nightclub.
- Santa doesn’t whine! We will be outside a lot and commuting mainly on foot – bring enough “snacks” to keep your pie-hole filled until we get indoors.
- Bring gifts: NAUGHTY gifts to give grown ups; NICE stuff to give kids. Throwing coal at people is discouraged no matter who they are. YES THAT INCLUDES POLITICIANS. But giving out coal might actually be appreciated.
- Watching santa be jolly & merry is fun. Babysitting santa while he vomits in an alley is not. Don’t be that santa.
- Make sure you always tip the bar staff. We want to be able to do this again so be polite and cultivate the goodwill of the local community.
- Please pay for your drinks as soon as you get them. Santas get tired of waiting on other santas to clear their tab before being able to move on. This entire adventure should be cash only.
- “No santa’s left behind!” Don’t think only of yourself – Santa is not inconsiderate of his fellow santas like that. Pick a few people you know and keep an eye out for them when it’s time to move to the next location. If you don’t see them, speak up so other santas know to wait a moment. Every santa should have at least 2-3 other santas they look out for and 2-3 that look out for them in turn.
- Stay with the group. It’s not just a case of “the more, the merrier” – Santa is safer with large numbers of fellow santas and what one santa can’t achieve (or get away with) is a possibility for 50 or more!
- Dress up! You don’t have to dress exactly like Santa. In fact, unusual interpretations of Santa-ness are much appreciated, both by those we bring joy to – as well as your fellow santas: elves, reindeer themes etc. are fine as well!
- 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 sh#t-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.
- Santa doesn’t drink & drive and neither should you. If you’re going to drink you must make sure that you can get safely home without driving yourself. Check public transport, carpool with a designated sober driver, make arrangements to sleep over at someone’s place etc. Organizers sometimes try to coordinate transportation to get santas safely home. Check the message boards and groups for your local SantaCon to find out if this is being done in your area.
- You MUST address everyone as “Santa.”
- You SHOULD “ho-ho-ho” like Santa.
- You OUGHT to give out gifts like Santa.
- You MIGHT want to drink like Santa
- Read these guidelines one more time.
- If you have reached this rule, it means you didn’t get locked into a loop reading the guidelines over and over again as per the previous rule. You are therefore intelligent enough to take part in SantaCon!
- Have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!
As always, we at ShoreBread encourage you to be safe while having fun. Hope to see you all there in your finest!
Ho Ho Ho!!
