Keeping Santa safe
Longtime participants in holiday tradition stay committed through pandemic
Aman jokingly asked for a new car. A little girl with one hand holding onto her dad’s and the other shaking uncontrollably, couldn’t help but scream at the sight of him. Most people wanted to say hello and thank you for the reminder of the holiday season.
It’s Christmas in the time of COVID-19 in Santa Fe, and despite it all, Santa Claus is trying his best to spread a little joy.
“If everybody plays their part, we can all be heroes,” Micah Ortega said while dressed as the jolly old man outside downtown stores Saturday afternoon. “I like to believe in miracles and that we can all make a difference.”
Ortega, a real estate agent, is no stranger to a costume. He has dressed as superheroes outside Whoo’s Donuts on Cerrillos Road for years to draw attention. This season, as Santa Claus, he’s bringing cheer but also serious business. Co-owner Jeff Keenan estimated doughnut sales go up 25 percent to 30 percent with Santa out front.
“He’s so boisterous and outgoing. It’s really infectious,” Keenan said. “Business has been down at least 40 percent all year, but October and November were better. Santa Fe has a good community sentiment to support.”
At Santa Fe Place mall, Roy Rich is back as Santa Claus for a fourth year. A few years back, another Santa Claus spotted him as a natural.
“I was sort of recruited by another Santa. I met him at the post office up in Questa,” Rich said. “He said, ‘You have the looks. Have you ever considered being a Santa?’ I said, ‘Well, no, I had never given that any thought.’ ”
In a typical year, Rich will take 80 pictures a day for $40 to $50. During a busy weekend this year, he saw about 40 customers from behind plastic shielding, said Naomi Flores, the local manager for the nationwide Santa Claus business Cherry Hill Programs.
“We’re happy that we’re back at it,” Flores said. “They can’t hug Santa or sit on his lap, but it still gives something for the kids who haven’t been able to go out much.”
Downtown stores Goler, Wear Your Grace, Santa Maria Provisions, Marta’s, Sock Magic and Boor-Ju, which pitched in to hire Ortega as Santa, said they’ve had to be creative with marketing during the pandemic as long-standing competition with corporate retailers has only intensified with many shoppers staying home.
Paula Goler, whose mother started the shoe and clothing store 36 years ago, said she has driven to customers’ homes with collections to sample — something Amazon doesn’t do.
“Shopping practices had already changed, and then with the pandemic, online shopping just impacted us 100 times more than it already was,” Goler said. “So our need to be creative has increased. We have to do whatever we can to distinguish ourselves from other online shopping experiences.”
Goler also said the percentage of business from locals instead of tourists or people with second homes in Santa Fe has increased from around 40 percent before the pandemic to 70 percent this holiday season.
Ortega, who also visits houses by request, said it has taken a while figure how to wear a mask with the beard without fogging up his glasses.
“There can be hope during a dark time. And I just think, ‘What can be my role in helping make that happen?’ “Ortega said. “And I can dress up as Santa Claus and stand outside some great small businesses. I can do that much.”
We’re happy that we’re back at it. They can’t hug Santa or sit on his lap, but it still gives something for the kids who haven’t been able to go out much.” Naomi Flores, local representative for Cherry Hill Programs, a national Santa Claus business