Sparky meets the Reindeer

I spend a lot of time at Santa’s Village and sometimes you miss out on some of the simple little things… like walking your dog. So this past weekend we brought our dachshund Sparky to the park for a visit. Sparky has been to Santa’s Village before, but this was the first time he got to meet Santa’s reindeer.

Of course the reindeer were not the only thing Sparky got to see…he even got to ride on the Candy Cane Sleigh, visit the North Pole, and enjoy the beautiful surroundings that are Santa’s Village.

Rainy Days and Hot Days

The one thing no one can control about working at a theme park is the weather. This July of 2011 has been the rainiest on record in the Chicagoland area with over 9 inches of rain. It also has been extremely hot when it has not been raining. Many days the heat indexes topped 100 degrees.

Santa’s Village, like any other outdoor attraction, is at the mercy of Mother Nature. The park has had to close on some of these days because of the rain and other days the park closed early because of the dangers of the heat wave that has been sticking around a lot this year. For the park officials the decision to close is a tough one, but they always put public safety, employee safety, and animal safety first.

Even if the park is closed because of the uncontrollable weather, the daily operations of maintenance, administration, and cleaning still have to take place. Plus the care for the animals that live at Santa’s Village need attention no matter what the weather may be. The park just does not get locked up and everyone goes home for a day off.

There are a lot of things that the general public might not understand about rainy days and hot days. And that is to be understood. But as an insider, I know that the park officials do make the right decisions when it comes to weather. It is a tough call sometimes and I am glad I don’t have to make that decision.

Man’s Best Friend

A little over two years ago, DeAnn and I had a very special “little friend” enter into our lives and home…His name is Sparky.

As a young boy growing up, my family had many pets that became our family members. My two brothers were into the pets more than I was, but I did enjoy having the dogs, cats, gold fish, and hamsters around. I never really had my own pet as a kid or even as an adult but that changed in early 2009.

A couple years ago I was talking to a friend of mine who had to find a new home for his family’s pet dachshund. The dog was 7 years old at the time and a lot of times, at that age, a new home is hard to find. I was familiar with the dachshund bread as my family had one when I was a child. It was probably the only dog that I really had a true fondness for as a kid.

With that being said, when I thought about this 7 years old dog that needed a new home, I seriously thought about it. I was also afraid of what the alternative could be. After a couple days, I knew I wanted the dog…now all I had to do was to tell DeAnn.

DeAnn and I discussed the issue and we both agreed that having a pet in the house might be challenging at times, but for the dog we needed to do it. Plus she thought it would be good for me. Well, DeAnn was right.

I brought Sparky into our home in February 2009 and he has been with us ever since. Sparky is a great joy and he is a true friend and buddy. I cannot imagine life without this little red “wiener dog” around.

Today Sparky is 9 years old and turning a little gray around his snout and paws, but who isn’t. He travels with us as much as he can and the love and companionship he shows is as genuine as I have ever seen or felt. He is truly part of our family.

Thanks Sparky for bringing the kid in me out again.

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…”