Santa(s) Spreading Cheer and Donating to Local Charities in Ocean City Throughout SantaCon
What is Santa Con?
Starting in 1994, the first Santa Con was in San Francisco, since then it has morphed into a yearly ritual and repeated all over the world. Currently in nearly 100 towns around the world, St. Nicks & St. Nikis don their red robes edged in puffy, white, faux fur and traverse their local towns. With each stop, they have a drink, maybe a bite, and bring delight to the other bar and restaurant customers. They follow guidelines set our by Santa Con and outlined on their site: https://santaconocmd.com/the-rules/
19 Santa Con OCMD Rules
“1. Santa does not make children cry. Really, if you see kids, donโt do anything to freak them out. Give them a nice smile and possibly a gift of some kind (toys, candy canes, etc). Parents and tourists are a different matter altogether โ adjust your behavior based on their attitude.
2. Santa dresses for all occasions. Itโs December by the ocean. Smart santas wear multiple costume layers. Dress to maximize merriment whether singing Christmas carols on the boardwalk, or sweating your *ss off in the bars.
3. Santa doesnโt whine! We will be outside a lot and commuting mainly on foot โ bring enough fruitcake to keep your pie-hole filled until we get indoors.
4. Bring gifts: NAUGHTY gifts to give grown ups; NICE stuff to give kids. Throwing coal at people is discouraged no matter who they are. YES THAT INCLUDES POLITICIANS. But giving out coal might actually be appreciated. Actually, f**k coal. What a filthy industry.
5. Watching santa get drunk and rowdy is fun. Cleaning vomit from Santaโs beard is not. Donโt be that santa.
6. Make sure you always pay for your beer and tip the bar staff. We want to be able to do this again so be polite and cultivate the goodwill of the worldโs greatest bartenders.
7. Please pay for your drinks as soon as you get them. Santas get tired of waiting on other santas to clear their tab before being able to move on. This entire adventure should be cash only โ do you want to be the bartender trying to settle up with 100 santas?
8. โNo santaโs left behind!โ Donโt think only of yourself โ Santa is not inconsiderate of his fellow santas like that. Pick a few people you know and keep an eye out for them when itโs time to move to the next location. If you donโt see them, speak up so other santas know to wait a moment. Every santa should have at least 2-3 other santas they look out for and 2-3 that look out for them in turn.
9. Stay with the group. Itโs not just a case of โthe more, the merrierโ โ Santa is safer with large numbers of fellow santas and what one santa canโt achieve (or get away with) is a possibility for 50 or more!
10. Dress up! You donโt have to dress exactly like Santa. In fact, unusual interpretations of Santa-ness are much appreciated, both by those we bring joy to โ as well as your fellow santas: elves, reindeer themes, naughty Mrs. Claus, etc. are fine as well!
11. Please remember that this is all about having fun. Most santas like to take their fun with a little alcohol which is fine. What is not fine, however, is getting completely sh#t-faced to the point that santas end up being abusive or violent. Remember that there is no โbail fundโ for incarcerated santas and if you cross the line youโll be on your own. Be nice or go back to the North Pole.
12. Santa doesnโt drink & drive and neither should you. If youโre going to drink you must make sure that you can get safely home without driving yourself. Ride the bus, carpool with a designated sober reindeer, make arrangements to sleep over at someoneโs place etc.
13. You MUST address everyone as โSanta.โ
14. You SHOULD โho-ho-hoโ like Santa.
15. You OUGHT to give out gifts like Santa.
16. You MIGHT want to drink like Santa.
17. Santa doesnโt get arrested โ please remember Santaโs โfour f**ksโ:
Donโt f**k with kids
Donโt f**k with cops
Donโt f**k with security
Donโt f**k with Santa
18. If you have reached this rule, it means you didnโt get locked into a loop reading the guidelines over and over again as per the previous rule. You are therefore intelligent enough to take part in SantaCon!
19. Have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, Ocean City!”
To keep the occasion merry and not weary, the rules continue and all directions are for the purpose of leaving their stomping grounds glad they came and happy to see them again next year. For the full list on Santa Con’s site click here.
13th Annual Ocean City’s Santa Con
The SC caught on in OCMD in 2011. Santa Con now welcomes over 600 Santas for a weekend of jolly. Santa Con in Ocean City is a full weekend of happenings starting Friday, December 8 and running through Saturday, December 9th. Hotels and restaurants have combined to make sure all the Santas have a nice and affordable stay. Giving is the real motive of the weekend of Kris Kringle mania. Santa Con benefits non-profits in the Ocean City area.
Santa Con’s Ocean City Charities
Kenille’s Kupboard Pet Pantry & Rescue, Inc. –
The Wicomico Street bars will be helping Kenilleโs Kupboard Pet Pantry & Rescue. Click here to donate to their GoFundMe!
You can also drop off dry dog/puppy food, dry cat food, treats (no rawhide please) at their colorful bins placed at the Wicomico Street bars.
More non-profits…
- Believe in Tomorrow โ Childrenโs House by the Sea
- Diakonia
- Gavin Knupp Foundation
- Worcester County GOLD
- Surfrider Foundation
- Randyโs Crew
Friday
Santa Con Kick Off Party at Pickles Pub
- SantaCon Kickoff Party at Pickles Pub, 706 Philadelphia Ave. 7:00 pm, with $5 orange crushes and Beats by Deogee at 9:30 pm. Pickles is supporting the Childrenโs House by the Sea.
Saturday
It looks like Wicomico Street is the place to be on Saturday. There are other places too, so get your complete list along with a calendar of events on the SantaCon site.
Ready for Santa Con Ocean City?
If all this sounds like a great way to get some friends together and give to some great charities -pick out a your best red suit and fit those reindeer with the reins. Head to Ocean City this weekend!
