Celebrate holiday with very little chance of shooting your eye out
To keep everyone safe, for at least another year, kids won’t be shoving mashed potatoes into their faces for a prize.
The “Mommy’s Little Piggy” mashed potato-eating contest and the “Oh Fuuudge” tire-changing relay race won’t be a part of the festivities surrounding the “A Christmas Story Comes Home” exhibit.
Presented by the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, the annual promotion runs Nov. 13 to Jan. 2, at the Indiana Welcome Center in Hammond.
It’s free and open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with special hours for events and holidays, said Heather Becerra, chief marketing officer with the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority.
“A Christmas Story Comes Home” consists of seven animated window displays depicting scenes from the beloved 1983 classic film, which itself was based on semi-autobiographical writings by Hammond native Jean Shepherd.
The displays include A Hero’s Dream, (Ralphie takes out the evil bandit Black Bart in a daydream); the Parker Living Room, Higbee’s Department Store, Flick’s Tongue and the Triple Dog Dare, It’s a Major Award, Santa’s Mountain at Higbee’s, and the Bumpus Hounds.
Last year was the first year they had all seven displays up and running, Becerra said, a positive byproduct of not having Santa’s Mountain set up. Before COVID-19, Santa sat atop a “mountain” and kids could exit via an actual slide, much like Ralphie in the movie after Santa famously tells him, “You’ll shoot your eye out.”
“We’re not doing a lot of the special events visitors every year have become accustomed to because of COVID concerns still,” she said. “We’re not doing the mashed potato eating contest. We’re not doing the Oh Fudge relay. We talked about it and decided this probably wasn’t the year to bring it back. We figured take another year off from special events and maybe we look at bringing them back in 2022.”
Additionally, visits with Santa are appointment-only and will be held in the Welcome Center’s theater. A glass partition separates him from guests and families are spaced six feet apart while waiting in line. Appointments are made online and each session is five minutes long and includes a printed photo with Santa. The cost is $10 and $6 for an additional photo. Santa’s availability is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekends Nov. 27-Dec. 19, as well as Nov. 26 and Dec. 21-23.
The Holiday Market won’t be back but shoppers will want to check out the gift shop filled with Indiana and “A Christmas Story” merch, she said.
“We also have a second gift shop that’s in part of the exhibit hall,” she said.
Two important events that are returning are the “Holiday for Heroes” and “All Is Calm.”
On Dec. 9, first responders (police, fire, EMT) and active and retired military are invited to visit the exhibit and visit with Santa from 5 to 7 p.m. Photos with Santa are included but must be scheduled online in advance.
On Dec. 15, families of people with extraordinary abilities can come from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and again from 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibit will be sensory-friendly and Santa will accommodate guests with limited accessibility. Photos with Santa must be scheduled online before the event.
A bronzed statue of the character Flick stands outside the Indiana Welcome Center with his tongue stuck to a flagpole and offers cute photo opportunities.
“It seems like it’s become an annual tradition for a lot of families,” she said. “I think we can all relate to the kids in the movie if you’ve ever had a Christmas in the Midwest.”