A ho-ho-whole lot different
Families adjusting to new Santa-visit realities
Turned loose from his mother’s grasp, little Decker Dowdy headed straight for Santa. In any other year, that would be fine. But in 2020, with the coronavirus pandemic continuing to spread, the boy’s mom, Jodi Dowdy, and the “elf ” helping Santa at the Polaris Cabela’s store sprang into action and directed Decker onto a bench in front of Santa.
There, separated from the jolly old elf by a large piece of plexiglass — Cabela’s called it “a magic Santa shield” — the 3-year-old could chat with Santa with less fear of catching or passing on the virus.
“Sometimes you forget these boundaries,” Dowdy said afterward of her son’s eagerness to sit on Santa’s lap.
But like several of the other 24 families who had reserved times for kids to see Santa at Cabela’s on a recent weeknight, the Lewis Center resident said she was grateful that the store had come up with a way for Decker to experience a cherished holiday tradition.
“It’s just something I always remember from my childhood, and I want him to be excited about it,” Dowdy said. “I think it’s great that Cabela’s is offering it.”
Cabela’s started its Santa visits on Nov. 8, but other sites are soon to follow.
Visits at both Polaris Fashion Place and Tuttle Crossing begin Nov. 27 and, like Cabela’s, they will feature plexiglass shields, temperature screenings, mandatory masks and frequent use of sanitizers.
The plan will be similar at the Indian Mound Mall in Heath, where manager Doug Berg said the mall won’t offer Sensitive Santa — a sensory-friendly opportunity for children with autism or other special needs — or animal visits with Santa this year.
Like at Cabela’s, other sites with Santa this year will have timed appointments that must be scheduled in advance.
In other words, there will be no long, snaking lines of kids and parents waiting to see Santa this year.
Some locations are getting particularly creative.
At the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Santa will be on hand during the Wildlights program, which begins Friday. The twist is that zoo officials have built a facade that looks like a house, and Santa will be in a sleigh that in photographs will appear to be on the roof.
Santa will be 6 to 8 feet away from where children will talk to him before getting pictures taken, so plexiglass barriers were unnecessary, said Jeff Glorioso, the zoo’s director of experiential marketing.
Like at all other sites hosting Santa, the zoo’s visits will be timed and reserved in advance.
“We needed to come up with something. We didn’t want to take Santa out of Wildlights,” said Glorioso, who added that the zoo has been in close consultation with the Delaware County Health Department while designing its setup. “We wanted to maintain some semblance of normalcy and figure out how to do that with less plexiglass.
“We can’t have Santa not coming because of COVID.”
In Pataskala, Santa won’t arrive at the annual Main Street Christmas event by fire engine, but he will visit with children in the downtown gazebo. The gazebo will look like a snow globe with Santa sitting inside, event coordinator Sarah Mcguire said.
And at Granville’s Christmas Candlelight Walking Tour, Santa will make a car tour through the village, likely between noon to 2 p.m. on Dec. 5, according to Granville Area Chamber of Commerce Director Steve Matheny. He said the chamber also is planning some virtual short meetings between Santa and children on Zoom.
Some sites, though, won’t get a live visit from Santa this year.
Easton Town Center will have its traditional tree lighting on Friday, but Santa will not be at the center in person this season. Instead, mall officials are offering a virtual experience in which children can order a personalized Santa video that will be sent to an email address.
Proceeds from the $10 charge will go to the Easton Community Association.
“As we prepared for the holidays, we knew we wanted to do something unique that would surprise and delight families, while also keeping everyone safe,” Easton chief executive Jennifer Peterson said in a statement.
“And, importantly, keep Santa safe as well, who remains at home with his quarantine crew at the North Pole.”
Nationwide Children’s Hospital also will not have Santa visits this year. According to spokeswoman Mary Ellen
“I couldn’t let those children down. ... So that’s why I am risking it. God is pulling me out there.” Richard Knapp Longtime Central Ohio Santa who sobbed when asked if making 2020 appearances is worth the risk
Fiorino, that decision was based on “our visitor restrictions and our priority to keeping our patients, families and staff as safe as possible.”
Children and families aren’t the only people who have had to adjust during this unique holiday season.
For Richard Knapp, one of the most visible Santas in central Ohio for the past 15 years, COVID-19 is changing nearly everything this Christmas season.
Knapp, 69, is going to live out of a hotel in Worthington for five weeks instead of driving back and forth from his daughter’s home in Pataskala or his home in Ravenna, Michigan.
He won’t be able to go into public schools or private businesses or the nursing home he visits every year.
When he makes his visits to homes or outside events, he will be wearing a Christmas-themed mask and do his best to be socially distanced from the children.
Some visits will be virtual.
No child will be sitting on Knapp’s lap this year.
The closest they will get is a quick few seconds for a picture with Santa, who will briefly remove the mask for photos.
“It’s more than heartbreaking for me,” said Knapp, who will still make 50 to 60 appearances over the Christmas season with his wife, Judy, who plays Mrs. Claus.
“Whether it’s a child or an 86-yearold great grandmother in a nursing home, it’s going to be hard not giving that special hug to those who really look forward to it.”
The 6-foot-4, 330-pound Knapp and Judy are in relatively good health, but they admit they are worried about the risks of being exposed to the virus. Knapp will strictly follow all COVID-19 prevention protocols wherever he goes, but realizes he is taking a chance at being exposed by continuing to play
Santa.
Knapp said he knows of at least a half dozen men across the country, including some friends through social media, who were Santas for many years but have died of COVID-19 this year.
Asked if it was worth the risk, Knapp began to sob.
“I couldn’t let those children down,” he said.
“The suppression children have had to deal with this year has been so difficult. Some couldn’t go to school or visit family. They can’t see grandma or grandpa or play sports. So that’s why I am risking it. God is pulling me out there.”
The families at Cabela’s certainly appreciated Santa’s effort.
And despite the plexiglass and the bottle of sanitizer sitting at the foot of a giant nutcracker, much of the experience seemed normal.
Santa and the kids chattered back and forth, and many children exhibited the typical excitement and wide-eyed wonder.
They seemed to understand why it was different, but they also didn’t appear to mind.
Stephanie Gaskill, 7, of Cambridge, said she was fine with not sitting on Santa’s lap, “because I don’t want to give Santa the virus.”
And Avery Xenias, 7, of Pickerington, said, “It didn’t matter to me, because at least I got to see Santa. That’s what matters to me the most.”