SANTA ARRIVES BY FIRETRUCK
Rain grounds helicopter, but enthusiasm for the holidays still flies high
As part of a decades-long holiday kickoff tradition in Crown Point, Santa Claus gets flown in on a Lake County Sheriff ’s Department helicopter that lands at Pointe Plaza followed by a parade down Main Street to the downtown square.
Rain on Saturday may have grounded the helicopter this year, but that didn’t seem to disappoint the hundreds of people who welcomed Santa and Mrs. Claus as they rode on a firetruck to the historic
Lake County Courthouse to meet waiting children hoping to have their Christmas wishes granted.
“It’s beautiful,” said Reena Patel, who was in line to greet Santa with her son and two nieces. “It’s so sweet. We are having a good time.”
Patel and her family, who moved to Crown Point in 2018, showed up for the city’s holiday kick-off last year as well. “We’ll make it a tradition,” she said. Santa and Mrs. Claus made a brief stop on the courthouse steps where they were joined by City Councilman Chad Jeffries, who was filling in for Mayor David Uran, for a reading of a resolution supporting Small Business Saturday.
There to support Small Business Saturday and to see Santa was state Rep. Lisa Beck, D-Crown Point, who remembered how as a child she would watch as Santa was pulled around the square in a trailer
that kids got to ride.
“Kids are excited to be here and see Santa Claus,” she said.
Jeffries said the city’s Santa parade has been going on for as long as he can remember, and it is something that every young kid in Crown Point and the region looks forward to.
“And it is kind of special when they get to come in to the old courthouse and meet Santa,” he said.
“When my kids were young it was the one thing they looked forward to every holiday season. Hopefully this tradition lasts for years and years to come.”
Santa and Mrs. Claus will be available to visit with families and children at the courthouse every Saturday and Sunday until Christmas from noon to 4 p.m. To view Santa’s complete schedule, go to www.crownpoint.in.gov.