Christopher DeVargas
Santa Claus makes a special appearance during the festive lighting of Ethel Ms Holiday Cactus Garden on Friday, November 5, 2021.
Friday, November 26, 2021 | 2 a.m
Last year, because of the coronavirus pandemic, Chris Groeschke was paused from his Christmas appearance, where he portrayed Santa Claus at live events.
This year, the owner of a company called Santa Kris Kringle has booked dozens of gigs and is looking forward to getting the Christmas spirit going again.
“I think it’s great that I’m a personal Santa Claus again this year, because I’ve missed it so much,” said Groeschke, who only appeared virtually last year. “There are concerns, yes, but I am vaccinated and have my flu shot. I also hope that I will soon get a booster vaccination. “
It turned out that 2020 was largely the year without Santa Claus – or at least a socially distant Santa or Santa Claus behind a plastic barrier.
Now that adults and children are vaccinated and virus test positivity in Las Vegas is about half what it was a year ago – 7% versus 14% – Santa is making a comeback across the valley.
Children again have the opportunity to visit Santa Claus up close and have themselves photographed with him at least in some places.
Groeschke said his phone rang in July for people who wanted to book gigs and that he already had 65 events pending.
These include gigs at Downtown Container Park and Cowboy Christmas, a western-themed shopping extravaganza linked to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in December.
After a year of self-isolation at the North Pole, Santa Claus is also ready to welcome children to some of the area’s shopping malls.
Santa will be present at the Fashion Show Mall on the Strip and the Galleria at Sunset Mall in Henderson, both operated by Brookfield Properties.
The company uses a New Jersey-based company called Cherry Hill Programs to feed its Santa Clauses.
Vaccination is required for Cherry Hill Santas, with regular testing for people with medical or religious exceptions, the company said.
“Santa is so back and we are very happy about it. The past year has been incredibly tough, ”said Chris Landtroop, spokeswoman for Cherry Hill, whose company purchases Santa Clauses for around 800 malls, big box stores and other locations.
Santa Claus was present at the fashion show last Christmas, but was socially distant from the customers.
This year it will be different, says Esther Sarpong, marketing director of the shopping center. Based on Las Vegas health and safety standards, kids can get cozier with Santa, she said.
“We have shoppers who are used to having photos taken with their favorite Santa Claus,” said Sarpong. “We have families who come to Las Vegas every Christmas time and make sure they get their photos at our mall.”
Santa will be available for photos near Neiman Marcus Court through December 24th, with a special pet photo day with Santa on November 29th, Sarpong said.
In collaboration with an organization called Autism Speaks, the fashion show is also hosting a “sensory-friendly” Santa Claus photo session on December 5th and 12th from 9:30 am to 10:30 am.
At the Galleria at Sunset, like the fashion show, customers are encouraged to go online to book photos by December 21, according to the mall’s website.
At the Town Square Shopping Center, the availability of photos with Santa Claus began on November 21st. It was one of the local malls that had Santa Claus performing live in 2020.
Santa Claus will be available for photos at the Las Vegas South Premium Outlets starting November 26, according to a spokesman for Simon Property Group, the company that owns the mall.
In Downtown Summerlin there are Christmas parades with Santa Claus every Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. until December 18. The parades were canceled last year due to the pandemic.
“The holidays feel special as many holiday events have been paused over the past year,” said Halee Harczynski, marketing manager for Downtown Summerlin. “We can’t wait to celebrate the season with everyone.”
Santa photos are available daily through Christmas Eve in Downtown Summerlin at the Santa Claus Chalet on Macy’s Promenade.
In the nearby Tivoli Village, a daily “Winter Wonderland Experience” until December 30th offers children the chance to take photos next to Santa Claus, who needs to be vaccinated.
Prior to the pandemic, more than 10 million U.S. households visited Santa Claus in a mall or store in 2019, according to GlobalData Retail Managing Director Neil Saunders.
Last year, the company’s research found that 6.1 million households visited Santa Claus, with fewer retailers and malls offering the poinsettia in person.
Saunders predicts that around 8.9 million households will visit Santa in person this year, with virtual visits still a great option.
“Ongoing concerns about the virus and ongoing restrictions in some states and localities continue to hold back Santa Claus’ in-person visits,” he said.
For the second year in a row, the Boulevard Mall in Las Vegas will not offer photos with Santa Claus, but photos with Christmas backgrounds.
“Things are still tricky this year,” said Patrice Donley, director of marketing and community relations for the mall. “We just felt it was the right decision not to let children sit on Santa’s lap. We don’t criticize other people and what other venues want to do, that was just our decision. “
The Southern Nevada Health District recommends anyone who appears in public as Santa Claus to get their COVID-19 and flu shots, spokeswoman Stephanie Bethel said.
You should also wear a mask – Clark County continues to have an indoor mask mandate – and maintain “as much social distance as possible”.
“Santa Clauses and event planners who work with Santa Clauses should follow all COVID-19 guidelines and recommendations, including testing, frequent hand washing and staying home when they’re sick,” Bethel said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
