Ho, ho, ho! SantaCon is coming to town
Send a link to a friend
[December 10, 2016]
NEW YORK (Reuters) - From Boston to
Austin and Chicago to Los Angeles, revelers across the United States
will be donning red and white suits this weekend to mark the worldwide
SantaCon holiday pub crawl.
The annual, often inebriated gatherings of people dressed as Santa Claus
as they go barhopping will be held in 380 cities in the United States
and 51 countries, according to SantaCon.info.
The website, which bills itself as the established authority on the
event, lists details of festivities around the globe, discounts on Santa
Claus costumes and advice on how to avoid ticket scams for the events
which are mostly free.
But while the faux Santas are counting on a fun-filled day and evening,
some bar owners and local officials are bracing for the worst after
previous events ended with complaints of drunken and disorderly
behavior, public urination and arrests.
Norman Siegel, the New York lawyer who represents SantaCon, acknowledged
that in the past the festival in the city had been marred by drunken
incidents but this year organizers are aiming for no, or very few
arrests or summons.
"We have established a cooperative, working relationship with the New
York Police Department, which is very positive," he said in an
interview.
Organizers informed police, the Parks Department and the mayor's office
of the SantaCon route and plans, which were agreed.
[to top of second column] |

Revelers dressed in Santa Claus and other holiday themed outfits
take part in the annual SantaCon event in the Brooklyn borough of
New York, December 12, 2015. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

"There has been an affirmative attempt to try to realistically and
substantially ameliorate those negative images of SantaCon," Siegel
said, "yet to maintain the spontaneity, creativity and fun."
He estimated thousands of people will be attending SantaCon in New York.
(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; Editing by Tom Brown)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |