Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

Arts & Entertainment

The Eye Of SantaCon 2016 Has Cast Its Terrible Gaze Upon Williamsburg


By

Ben Yakas

Published Oct 25, 2016

Modified Oct 25, 2016


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 .

Alycia Kravitz/Gothamist

 


By

Ben Yakas

Published Oct 25, 2016

Modified Oct 25, 2016


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

The impending L train shutdown will provide plenty of excuses to avoid Williamsburg in the future, but it isn't supposed to get underway until a few years from now—here's a reason to avoid the neighborhood even sooner, unless, of course, you're into this sort of thing. SantaCon 2016 will start in Williamsburg at 10 a.m. on December 10th.

As with previous years, the parade start location and route will not be revealed until shortly before the actual event—you can check their Facebook for updates on that (there is also a list of participating bars on their website, though it isn't clear if this is the updated list for 2016 or not). Even so, SantaCon has gotten more transparent about its workings in the face of increasing hostility from across the city—hostilities that forced the event to leave the comfy confines of midtown Manhattan for gentrified Brooklyn in recent years.

We've been covering the event almost as long as its been going on, so we know what to expect: we've seen all the drunken brawling, the nightmare fighting videos, the Duane Reade handjobs, the First Amendment press conferences, the moments of silence for oppressed people all over the world, the backlash, the backlash to the backlash, the backlash to the backlash to the backlash, and most of all, ALL OF THE BINGE DRINKING.

But to be fair, SantaCon organizers have made a concerted effort to improve the event's reputation in recent years. And without it, we never would have gotten Lauren Evans and Rebecca Fishbein to willingly wear Santa outfits. And we never would have been treated to this beautiful video:

Tagged

alcohol

brooklyn

drunk people

santacon

santacon2016

williamsburg


Ben Yakas

Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


MORE arts-entertainment

How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years

Spoiler alert: It's still 26.2 miles.

By

Hannah Frishberg

Published Oct 14, 2026 at 2:36 p.m. ET


A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson

"Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger," says the co-owner of Art of Play.

By

Sonia Rao

Arts & Entertainment

A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson

"Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger," says the co-owner of Art of Play.

By

Sonia Rao


The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?

By

Lindsay Lee Wallace

Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?

By

James Ramsay

What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.

By

Jayson Greene


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 .