Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Here Comes SantaCon, Here Comes SantaCon, Right Down Run Away Way
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 3, 2015
Modified Nov 4, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 3, 2015
Modified Nov 4, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
DUUUUUUUDE it is ON. Spraypaint a giant red "X" on your calendar where it says December 12th, unless you use your cellphone's calendar, in which case you'll want to make sure the screen has one of those protective skins on it before you paint that "X" on it. (I learned this one the hard way.) Why December 12th? Oh, just a little charitable fundraising event called SantaCon! "This is awesome":
"This is amazing":
"This is really gonna make a difference":
Last year, after some city officials urged local bars to ban SantaCon participants, the NYPD seemed poised to crack down on Santas' disorderly conduct. But civil rights attorney Norman Siegel intervened on SantaCon's behalf, and the drunken flashmob proceeded apace—and in the midst of a massive political demonstration against police brutality. (See nauseating video above.) Now, according to SantaCon's website, on December 12th it's "TIME TO PAINT THE TOWN RED AND WHITE THE ELVES & I HAVE BEEN TINKERIN’ IN DA TOYSHOP, WE’RE COOKIN’ UP SOMETHING BRAND NEW THIS YEAR."
If that bracing caps lock bomb threat didn't get you in SantaCon spirit, take a few minutes read Lauren Evans's brave report from the front lines of SantaCon 2014. Forewarned is forearmed.
Tagged
santacon
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Goodbye horses, welcome back Puppetworks: NYC businesses opening and closing
Both horses and puppets find new homes and a new passageway emerges in Harlem.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Aug 12, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. ET
Fake AI ads in the West 4th Street subway station unite commuters in hatred of AI ads
An installation by comedians Harris Alterman and Dave Ross accurately parodied the cheeky dystopia on display underground.
By
Emma Li
Arts & Entertainment
Fake AI ads in the West 4th Street subway station unite commuters in hatred of AI ads
An installation by comedians Harris Alterman and Dave Ross accurately parodied the cheeky dystopia on display underground.
By
Emma Li
'It is a bit utopian': Why Public Service is Brooklyn's favorite dance party
By
Maia Appleby Melamed
Challenge accepted: We went hunting for the secret bolt in Central Park
By
James Ramsay
Monica Barbaro's guide to running around New York City in heels
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .