Gone Fishing

Sometimes you just need a little time off to relax and go fishing. Too hot for ice fishing, but relaxing all the same.

The North Pole

It is a piece of theme park history. When Glenn Holland and Putnam Henck of Santa’s Village Corporation first developed the concept of Santa’s Village in 1953 they wanted to bring the Legend of Santa Claus to life in startling realism. Part of that realism was having an iconic symbol for the park. It was an obvious choice…the North Pole. The frozen North Pole appeared at all three Santa’s Villages that Holland built. It became a landmark. In reality there were only six North Poles built. Three were for Santa’s Village Corporation and three others for different entertainment venues. Today, to my knowledge, only three exist.

The frozen North Pole that was at the Dundee, Illinois Santa’s Village was first located in the center of the park in a small area coined “North Pole Plaza.” When the Polar Dome was built in 1962 the Pole was moved, along with Santa’s House, near the Snowball Ride. The Pole was move once again in 1968 to right outside the front door of Santa’s House.

Since the North Pole was first frozen in 1959 at Santa’s Village Dundee it has fascinated millions. The Pole was last frozen at the park on September 18, 2005. I tuned it off on the last day of operation of the park. The North Pole survived the auction of the Santa’s Village assets in the fall of 2006 because I had made an agreement to preserve the North Pole and all the Santa’s House props along with the extensive public relations archives of the park that date back to 1958. All these things have been in my possession ever since.

The North Pole has been used a few times since I removed it from the park. This past year I loaned the North Pole to another attraction. That agreement has since expired. And so the North Pole is once again with me at my home in storage. But the Pole will not stay in storage long. With the reopening of Santa's Village this past May and my return to the park as Santa, I have agreed to loan the North Pole to Santa’s Village. So after 5 years the North Pole is coming back to the park.

For all its history the North Pole has survived three locations, numerous sign toppers, the park’s closing and auction. It will be great to see the frozen North Pole once again at its original home at Santa’s Village. And for sure, the Pole will bring back memories for some and create new memories for those who have never seen it and once again fascinate the young and the old alike…that believe in the magic of Santa and childhood.

Christmas in July

Since the Fourth of July has passed, the “Christmas in July” season has started. What does this really mean? Well for starters it is extremely hot walking around Santa’s Village theme park in full regalia. Last weekend the temperatures were way past 90 degrees with heat indexes were over 100 degrees. It’s hot enough if you’re wearing shorts and a t-shirt, but a full yak beard set, wool pants, black boots, and foam rubber padding is extreme. But that is part and parcel with being Santa from Santa’s Village. It is also a heck of a way to drop a few pounds. Of course we take the necessary precautions while in the suit to keep hydrated and monitor body temperature.

July is also the time of year that we start shooting print ad pictures, commercial spots, and promotional videos for this upcoming Christmas Season. These can be lots of fun especially when you have a great crew that you are working with. Last week we shot at Sears Holdings national headquarters in metropolitan Chicago. Sears Holdings is the parent company of Sears retail stores and the Kmart retail stores. We did filming for both entities. I tip my hat to the crew of the project as they were very accommodating and really great professionals to work with and be around. It is a lot of work, but it is very rewarding to see the finished project where the talent of all concerned blends into one image. That in itself is pretty cool on a hot July day.

Taking a time-out to go back to High School

It has been a long time since high school and that world seems like a far off place. Of course my "real" reality is not the typical path chosen by most. But it is the one that best fit me and so I might look at life in a different way.

The reality of my world is that I make a fulltime living being Santa Claus. Since the inception of a “live” Santa visiting children some 170 years ago there have been only five Santas that have done Santa as a living for a span of a decade or more. I happen to be one of those men. I’ve been a fulltime Santa for over 25 years and only one man in history has more fulltime years at this than I do…and he helped me get a “D” on my high school junior year term paper about what I wanted to do for a living. In a way that is some sort of poetic justice for me today as I think that paper and a certain English teacher that graded it motivated me more than anything else. I knew she was wrong.

This upcoming weekend, the Fourth of July celebration in Watseka, Illinois, my graduating class of 1981 will celebrate our 30th anniversary…so I have made arrangements to take a few days off and go back to high school. I have mixed emotions about the whole thing. I know that since I left high school I have changed a lot. And of course all of the 100 or so of my classmates have too. That’s just part of going from a young person to a middle aged person.

Reminiscing about days gone by is fun. Heck that was the point of this blog in the first place. I have probably forgotten more about high school than I can remember. And that is most likely true of everyone. But that is not what is important.

In my humble opinion, it is not that thirty years have passed or so and so was a jock, musician, drama queen , a rah-rah or stoner…and it is not about high school any more. What it is about is that these people were a part of my formative years. They were and some still are a part of my life. It does not really matter where anyone ended up or who does what and where…as long as they are happy. That’s what is important.

If anything comes out of this reunion for my classmates and me, it’s the feeling that we all still have a common bond to each other. I hope this is a reunion not a “let’s party dude” or “class of 81 rules” thing. High school was a long time ago and all of us are now in our late 40s so no one should expect a 17 or 18 year old mentality. Hopefully people can just be themselves.

Going to a class reunion is a rite of passage in some ways. I never attended the 10th or 20th class reunions, so I think it is about time to go to one. I guess I’m just getting older and realizing that life is really very short. Over the past few years my class has lost a few more classmates. Little did I know way back in 1981 that would be the last time I would see some of these people. That is why this reunion is important also. You never know the cards the game of life will deal you.

I do look forward to seeing members of my class. As I said before, they all were a part of my formative years as a person and in a way as Santa Claus. That is my connection to the Watseka Community and the High School Class of 1981. And I thank them for it.

Welcome to Santa's Village Paizley

It is not too often in one’s life that miracles happen. Miracles don’t have to be world changing or earth shattering to be important in an individual’s life. With the reopening of Santa’s Village this past month I have seen these “little” miracles happen at the park. As Santa, I try to meet and greet each and every person who visits Santa’s Village. I appreciate the time and the money spent by these guests to come to the park and enjoy Santa’s Village again. But every now and then a “little” miracle will happen.

For many generations of Chicago area children Santa’s Village was an annual summer outing with mom, dad, brother, sister, and even grandma and grandpa. Five summers have come and gone since Santa’s Village was last open and now we have a new generation of young children who have never had the experience of the park. It is really something to see the magic in a child’s eyes when they enter into the park and see it for the first time. It is also special to see a young parent and a new grandparent experience it for the first time with a child. It brings back many memories and connects them with a new memory of Santa’s Village that all three generations can share.

I first appeared as Santa at Santa’s Village some twenty five years ago in 1986. In the spring of 1988 my daughter Holly was born and I got to welcome her to the park. My daughter grew up with Santa’s Village and me being the park’s Santa. It was different for her I imagine. Well, Holly is all grown up and married to a great young man named Nicholas. Who else would Santa’s daughter marry? About two years ago God blessed Holly and Nick with a beautiful little girl named Paizley… my first grandchild.

My job at Santa’s Village is to create magic and bring the character of Santa to life for children of all ages. I’ve welcomed literally hundreds of thousands to Santa’s Village and have been seen by millions in the many parades, Christmas appearances, and promotions we do. But there was one thing that I had never done and that was about to change.

A couple Saturdays ago Holly and Nick brought Paizley to Santa’s Village and this time I got to be the recipient of the magic. The day was special in many ways. Holly got to relive old memories of her childhood at the park with her husband and the both of them got to create a new shared memory with their daughter. As Holly’s father I got to see my daughter experience the park with her daughter and as Santa, I got to welcome my granddaughter to her first ever visit to Santa’s Village.

Some say there are no miracles left in the World. Well, I disagree. Miracles can happen…even for a guy who is Santa Claus.

Coming Full Circle

After 5 years Santa’s Village in Dundee, Illinois is open. The park’s last day of operation was on September 18, 2005, but the park and Polar Dome officially closed on May 30, 2006. It is a great feeling to be back at Santa’s Village as there are so many fond memories of the park for me. I first became Santa Claus at Santa's Village in 1986. A regional photo company called Instant Photo Corporation (IPC) had the contract of supplying the park’s Santa. I worked for IPC as a Santa trainer back then, so it was natural that I would be at Santa’s Village. IPC dissolved as a company in late 1988 and I took over the contract at Santa’s Village in 1989 with my own company Santa Claus Productions.

Now 25 years later, a bit older, heavier, and with less hair on my head, I find myself back at Santa’s Village. It is like walking back in time. The property of Santa’s Village is divided into two sections, The Paintball Explosion and Santa’s Village Azoosment Park. I do the Santa thing for both companies and really enjoy being a part of the re-opening of Santa’s Village property. I guess in a way I have come full circle.

Remembering Santa Don Goers

It is with great sadness that I must convey that Santa Don Goers has passed away at the age of 85 on May 24, 2011. Don was Santa’s Village’s main Santa Claus from 1966-1979. My sincerest condolences go out to his family and friends.

An Algonquin, Illinois native, Don came to Santa’s Village in 1959 as a maintenance man and helped out where ever he could. One day he and another park employee were working on the Snowball ride when Santa walked up and asked if they knew of anyone who could help him out and give him a day off. Don spoke up and said “Yes I do…me!”

Don, as Santa, entertained hundreds of thousands of children at the park…including yours truly. I sat on Don’s knee in the 1960s. Not only did Don play the park’s namesake, he could be seen at Christmas events all around the area. A lot of children from the Fox Valley region remember the “REAL SANTA” from the Joseph Spiess Department Store in downtown Elgin. That Santa was Don also.

God bless you Don and thanks for making the magic of Santa come alive to many generations of Chicago area children.

They Wore the Red Suit

We have the great privilege to be part of a new film that documents some of the legendary Santa Clauses of the past and some of the Santas of today. Film maker Larry Peter and his staff at Power Plant Productions is creating a wonderful behind the scenes look at the vocation and business of being the man in the red suit. We have already filmed with Larry at Santa’s Village in East Dundee, Illinois and in Santa Claus, Indiana. This weekend we will be filming again at Santa’s Village at the opening of the park.

In the upcoming months we will travel with the film crew to the National Christmas Center outside Philadelphia, to Albion, New York to look at the history of Charles W. Howard, to New York City and Macy’s, back to Santa Claus, Indiana to look at the history of Jim Yellig. In between all this we will film some more at Santa’s Village and a few other locations. It will be a busy summer.

Working with Larry and his crew on this film has been and is a great pleasure. I am honored to be a part of this film and I am looking forward to the final product. For more information on They Wore the Red Suit please visit the film’s official website at www.thesantamovie.com

Mothers Day 1986

It was 25 years ago this Mother’s Day in 1986 that I became the Santa from Santa’s Village in Dundee, Illinois. Being the St. Nick for a theme park that is based on the legend of Santa Claus is a true fulltime job. It requires upwards of 200 days a year in appearances for the park and at Christmas time. It is also a neat way to make your living. Now I am not a 24/7/365 Santa by any means, that is just not my cup of tea. And I know that I have been very fortunate to be a true year-round Santa.

From 1986 until the park closed in 2006, I was Santa over 200 days a year…for 21 years. After the park closed I still did Santa many dozens of times a year in numerous locations including Santa Claus, Indiana and of course my Christmas Season. The property owners kept me informed during the past 5 years the property sat unused and I kept a presence at the park during that time as I had complete access. Now with the re-opening of the property, I have to get back to my real job…being Santa from Santa’s Village.

Back in 1986, I had no idea that my life would take the path that it eventually took. I did though write a term paper my junior year in high school about the possibility of being Santa and making a living at it. It got a “D.” Today, in a way, that is some sort of poetic justice for me.

Over the years I have kept daily log books or journals, as some would call them, of my vocation of Santa. These logs started back in 1985 when I was hired by Instant Photo Corp of America. There are now some 70 spiral bound notebooks of information, feelings, reflections, and business of my life.

My father was and is still a very intelligent man. He and my mother are both 80 years old and have been married for 60 years. They are really the foundation of my career in so many ways. And it was s stroke of genius by my father that led to all of this.

Back in 1985, I was a recent graduate with a business marketing degree from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois and as with most graduates, I was look for a job. I came across an ad in the Chicago Tribune for a Marketing Professional and Santa Trainer for a photo agency that provides pictures with Santa to major malls and department stores. I wanted the job of course.

I prepared a resume and let my father review it. He told me he knew I had the qualifications for the job, but my age would work against me. So he came up with an idea. He re-worked the resume so there were not dates and told me that if I got the interview he would take me. Now, I am 23 years old at the time, I did not need my daddy going to an interview with me if I got one. He insisted that we wait and see if I got an interview first, then he would discuss why he would take me. Well, I applied and did get the interview.

With the interview secured, my father told me of his idea. He strongly suggested that I go in full Santa regalia to the interview. If I was to be the Santa Trainer, I better know the part, plus the suit, wig, beard, and make-up would conceal my age. And without the dates on my resume, they would not really know…at least for a while. He mentioned also to not break character if at all possible.

To make a long story short, I was hired on the spot as a fulltime employee…their Santa Trainer. It was with Instant Photo Corp that led me to Santa’s Village in the spring of 1986. They had the contract at the time. When IPC folded in early 1989, I formed my own company, Santa Claus Productions and have had the contract with Santa’s Village and the property ever since. Now 25 years later, I am still Santa from Santa’s Village.

Last weekend as Santa we opened up part of the property and on May 27th the entire property will open for day to day operations. I have spent this week reflecting how my life has now come full circle. I have read my entries in my log books from 1986 and I found most entries I feel the same about today.

From…Mother’s Day 1986… “My first day at Santa’s Village was today. Man is this cool! I only wish the suit was as cool. I just hope that this lasts forever…”

Santa helped me get a "D" on my English paper!

It was a homework assignment that I will never forget. Sometimes in life what you think is a disaster turns out to be a true blessing. I began playing Santa at the age of four years old in Havana, Illinois. I continued that family tradition all the way into high school in Watseka, Illinois to my freshman year. That year, at the age of 14, I became the local Chamber of Commerce Santa and started to appear in parades and at Santa’s House in downtown Watseka. It was fun, enjoyable, and something I really like to do, even at such a young age.

During my junior year in high school, my English teacher assigned a thesis paper to our class on what we wanted to do for a career after we graduate. Well, I had been playing Santa for the chamber for a few seasons and I thought…why not just be Santa as a career. I had heard of one man who had done this. So it could be done…right?

A few years earlier I had seen a newspaper article on a man from southern Indiana that was the year-round Santa at Santa Claus Land theme park in Santa Claus, Indiana. His name was Jim Yellig. Yellig had been at Santa Claus Land since its inception in 1946. Santa was his job, but most importantly it was his vocation. He did not play Santa, he was Santa.

The English assignment required that I do research on my “dream” career and so the first thing I did was hit the library and research Jim Yellig. I found out a lot about this man...a WW I veteran, an American Legion Post Commander, and a career Santa Claus. I gathered as much information on Yellig that I could find, but it was not enough. So I decided to write him a letter about how to be a year-round Santa Claus.

It felt kind of strange, being a 16 year old junior in high school, writing a letter to the Santa Claus of Santa Claus, Indiana, but I did it anyway. I asked in my letter for advice on how to make Santa a career, what education was needed, and if there was any special requirements. I told him a little bit about my background as a young Santa and that I was doing a paper on a career that I wanted to pursue. I addressed it to Santa Claus and mailed it to Santa Claus, Indiana.

I went about the business of writing the paper for class, half thinking how silly it was to bother a professional Santa with my pipe dream. I really didn’t think that Jim would reply. Well I could have not been more wrong.

I came home from school one afternoon to find an envelope addressed to me lying on the kitchen table. As I picked it up, I noticed it was from Santa Claus Land. I had just gotten a letter from Santa.

I took the letter into my bedroom and opened it very cautiously, not knowing what the contents might be. The envelope contained a handwritten letter from Jim Yellig and a book called, “It’s Fun to be a Real Santa!” I very carefully read the letter.

“Dear Phillip,

Thank you for your letter dated the 10th of April. Your request is one that I am not sure Santa can fill, but he will try. First of all you have to have the love of Christmas and children in your heart. You must understand this as without it you are just wearing a red suit. Be dedicated to the magic that Santa holds for a child, understand the religious meaning of Christmas, and be kind to the elderly as they are your children also.

Get as much general education as you can, study, study, and more study. Then ask the Good Lord for guidance as he will know what path he will lead you. Please let me know how your paper turns out.

Signed,

Santa Jim Yellig, the Ho-Ho-Ho of Santa Claus, Indiana.”

The letter and the book inspired me. Santa had written me back. I showed the letter to my parents who thought that the message and tone of Jim’s letter was very honest and motivating. They also stated that I better get busy on the paper as it was due in a few days.

I wrote the paper with a sense of excitement that I had never had before. I carefully crafted each paragraph and cited my references. When I was finished, I had the paper typed by my Dad’s secretary to make sure all punctuations and grammar was correct. I then turned the paper in to my English teacher.

About a week passed and finally in English class the paper was retuned to me. I opened the red folder that incased the manuscript with great anticipation. I looked at the teacher's remarks. I got a “D” with a comment added, “An unattainable goal.”

I was heart broken. At least she could do was encourage me a bit or maybe say that Santa could be a hobby, not a profession. But she didn’t. As requested, I wrote Jim another letter to let him know how the paper turned out.

It was about a week later that Jim replied back and he was a little surprised at the mark I received. “Don’t let one person’s opinion discourage you from any of your dreams.” he stated. And he gave me even more encouragement.

I continued to play Santa during the rest of my high school days and college days. Jim and I would correspond letters and phone calls back and forth over the years. I even traveled to Santa Claus, Indiana to meet him and talk to him in person on occasion. He always encourage me, giving me sound advice along the way. Jim became my mentor even though he may have not fully realized it. He was also my friend. Jim Yellig passed away in 1984 at the age of 90. I was 22 years old at the time.

Well, I did become a true year-round Santa in 1985 when I was hired by Instant Photo Corporation of America. And the rest as they say is history.

I will never forget Jim Yellig’s kindness and his advice. I will never forget our conversations and I will never forget what I like to call Jim Yellig’s three “Rs” of being Santa.

“To be a great Santa you have to do the research, rehearse the part, and lean how to render the role. You have to become Santa, not play him.” That’s what Jim Yellig taught me.

Jim gave me a gift I can never repay… and he helped me get a “D” on my English paper along the way.

Thanks Jim for being a great inspiration.

You better watch out, you better not pout, and you might want to take cover…Paintball Explosion comes to Santa’s Village!

You might remember Santa’s Village as a child, but just as you have grown up and changed, so has the Santa’s Village property in East Dundee, Illinois. Paintball Explosion opens a new era in fun family entertainment at Santa’s Village on April 30th with an exciting opening day ceremony. There will be activities for the young, the old, and everyone in between. There will even be some strolls down memory lane for those who used to work at Santa’s Village.

Paintball Explosion has developed not just 1, 2 or 3 areas for paintball activity, but 7 great fields of play! Each area is designed to entice players in either a realistic setting or a fantasy setting. And just as an added surprise, join Paintball Explosion on their Facebook page and they will send you an exclusive invite for the pre-grand opening party that will be held on Friday April 29th at 7:00 pm. There will be plenty of food, drinks, and paintball in their state of the art indoor climate controlled field.

Paintball Explosion at Santa’s Village… Don’t miss out!

The Chief

This past Friday, March 11, 2011, I spent the day at the Santa’s Village property doing a presentation on the history and memories of the park for the Reindeer Owners and Breeders Association (ROBA.) After the presentation, we donned full Santa regalia to visit with the ROBA members and do some filming on a documentary we were asked to be a part of. With the different aspects of Santa’s Village; The Azoosment Park and Paintball Explosion set to reopen this coming May, being back in costume for the first time on the property since May 2006 (when Santa’s Village closed) was pretty cool. Even cooler was to have “The Chief” back in the park.

I always referred to longtime General Manager Don Holliman as “Chief.” It is a term I often heard growing up as people use to address my father as “Chief” at the hospital where he was the CEO. So the term is part of my vocabulary, though I never addressed anyone except Don with it.

There are a few people that are imbedded in the collective conscious in the history of Santa’s Village. Don Holliman is one of these people. Don came to Santa’s Village in 1968 during the Everding era as a manager for the Polar Dome and was made the park’s General Manager in 1972. A position he held until after the 2003 season.

In Don Holliman, Santa’s Village found a general manager that promoted the rides first and the other intangibles second. Holliman understood the new reality of the amusement business which was taking place in the early 1970s. The profit centers of a park were the gate, rides, foods, attractions, merchandise and games. It has change very little since. Consistency of name and image combined with these profit centers is a recipe for success.

I had not seen Don in many years, though we have talked on the phone often. As my day was winding down last Friday and before I changed back into my civilian clothes, I went into the main office and “snagged” Don for a picture. For the first time in nearly 8 years, Santa and “The Chief” were together at Santa’s Village.

I am extremely happy for Don being back at the park as the General Manager of the Azoosment Park section. He is helping write a new chapter in the continuing saga that is Santa’s Village. Good to see you again “Chief.”