Thousands of festive Santas and a handful of Grinches take to the streets for the yearly SantaCon pub crawls

NEW YORK — The holiday spirit is in full swing as Santa Clauses gather in droves around the world.


On Saturday, enthusiastic patrons dressed as Kris Kringle and various other festive characters filled streets, sidewalks, and bars in cities ranging from Adelaide to Vancouver during the popular charity event known as SantaCon.


In New York City, the celebration started early, around 10 a.m., despite temperatures hovering near freezing. Festivities were expected to last well into the evening, as participants, including those dressed as Grinches and elves, made their way to different bars and clubs across Midtown Manhattan, creating a vibrant sea of red and green as they celebrated the season.


The event organizers characterize NYC SantaCon as a whimsical, non-profit gathering designed to foster joy and camaraderie. They describe it as a “charitable, non-commercial, non-political, nonsensical Santa Claus convention” aimed at spreading laughter and merriment.


Attendees are invited to contribute $15 to partake in the festivities at various venues, with proceeds going to charitable causes, ensuring that the celebration also benefits those in need.


Simultaneously, similar SantaCon events were occurring in about 50 cities worldwide, including locales like London, Phoenix, Winnipeg, and San Francisco. While some cities opted to host their Santa events on Friday or even prior weekends, many more are planned throughout the rest of December.


To maintain order during the celebrations, New York City police reminded revelers via social media that consuming alcohol in public is against the law and that hindering pedestrian and vehicular traffic may result in fines. They also urged attendees to arrange safe transportation by securing a designated driver.


Additionally, local commuter rail services prohibited drinking on trains to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all passengers.