Annual bar hop draws Santas, friends to city
The Santas came from nearly every corner of the Bay Area.
There were Santas in red shirts and skirts, aprons and tube tops, and wearing belts, beards, boots and bells. They streamed out of BART entrances and off Muni buses. A long yellow school bus dumped dozens of festively clad SantaCon goers at Union Square. Another group arrived on bikes. Bystanders didn’t look twice as the procession streamed past.
“I don’t know if Santa was a drinker, and if he was, I don’t know how he did it with this beard,” said Gina Anadilla of Alameda, fidgeting with her fake beard. “The bars are prepared. We came and donated our toy, and now we’re ready to have some fun.”
Anadilla and her husband, Aris, were two of thousands of people who dressed up in celebration of Saturday’s SantaCon, which started in San Francisco in 1994 and has spread worldwide. The event began in Union
Square before the wave of red-clad partygoers headed to the bars. Some participants, like the Anadillas, brought gifts to donate to needy children though the San Francisco Fire Department.
But the frivolity hasn’t always been jolly. After some clashes with police and bar owners, organizers now encourage participants to stay on their best behavior and avoid confrontations with the police, security, bartenders, kids and other Santas.
Cody Towner of Cole Valley and Matt Faraclas, who lives near the University of San Francisco, donned inflatable Santa suits for the event, which added considerable girth to their svelte frames. A long line of fellow SantaCon goers waited to snap a photo with them.
“We’ve taken quite a few pictures with people, but when we start to rub our bellies, it frightens them,” Faraclas said, noting that the “clas” in his name sounded like “Claus.” “We go big every year. There are six of us big Santas this year. Which is good, because we’re definitely going to need a buddy system to get out of these suits and go to the bathroom.”
A scantily clad Mrs. Claus tentatively poked the side of Towner’s costume.
“Yeah, I’m trying to watch my weight,” Towner said, laughing.
Not everyone adhered to the theme. Robert Chapin, a retired park ranger living in Monterey, dressed like a Christmas tree, complete with sparkling lights and bows. His feet were stuffed into cardboard gift boxes, and he wore red long johns. He and his former high school friends had decided to reunite for the event.
“I love the camaraderie and costumes, and how it brings everyone together,” Chapin said. “I didn’t want to be a Santa, because everyone does that, and it’s so boring. I was a tree last year, too, and people loved it. I added more lights this year. It’s been a huge hit.”
Lorans Toskov of San Jose retrofitted a bear costume he had worn for Halloween into a reindeer get-up. All it cost him was a few dollars to buy antler ears.
“I love meeting new people and drinking in the middle of the day,” he said, adjusting his headband. “It gets crazy in the best way. I’m just hoping to survive the day with all of my Santa compatriots. That’s the spirit of SantaCon.”