Santacon is coming to town
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Get ready to see a whole lot of red Saturday as the inaugural Saratoga Santacon is expected to attract droves of Santas downtown.
Local resident Michelle Nochisaki organized Saratoga Springs’ first Santa Convention, a celebration popular in cities across the globe that invites participants to dress up in full holiday attire and enjoy the music, food and drinks at local bars while giving back to the local community.
“I’ve attended the Santacon in New York City for some years now and I was unable to go this year. I thought people would love to participate in a Saratoga Santacon,” Nochisaki said.
Admission to the event is the donation of at least two nonperishable food items to benefit the Franklin Community Center, a private, nonprofit, human- service organization providing basic necessities and services in Saratoga. Requested items include but are not limited to peanut butter, jelly, spaghetti sauce, pasta, canned beans and hearty soups.
Participants must be dressed in head- to- toe holiday costume, which could include anything from Santa Claus himself to an impish elf or even a Christmas tree. The event begins at Putnam Den, where Santa’s sleigh will await donations from noon to 2 p.m. and local band Dead Horse Beat will per-form live.
The Santas will trek from bar to bar each hour, including Peabody’s, Seven Horse Pub, Saratoga City Tavern, Desperate Annie’s, The Bull Ben and the Paddock until 8 p.m.
For those who wish to put the “saint” in Saint Nick, raffle tickets will be given to those who donate more than two items. In addition to the raffle prizes — courtesy of Saratoga Eagle — other incentives also include Budweiser and Bud Light specials.
Nearly 300 people have committed to the event on its Facebook page, and Nochisaki says the more the merrier.
“Whether in number of food items or people in attendance, I hope the event is a huge success,” she said.
Formore information and a link to the “wish/ needs list” for the Franklin Community Center food pantry, go to the “Santacon Saratoga Springs 2012” Facebook page.