Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Photos: Santacon Once Again Brings Its Sloppy Holiday Revelry To Manhattan
By
Scott Lynch
Published Dec 12, 2021
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 .
View all 88
By
Scott Lynch
Published Dec 12, 2021
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
Santacon has been a part of New York City's holiday season for nearly a quarter-century now, and after last year's event was canceled because of the pandemic, the roving all-day party was back with a vengeance on Saturday as thousands of jolly revelers swarmed parts of Midtown and the East Village.
At 9 a.m. on Sunday, the NYPD told Gothamist there were no incidents to report from the event. While at least one video of a fight has surfaced, it's unclear if it's from this year's Santacon (the Daily Mail reports several fights had to be broken up).
Katie Sweeny came in from Long Island and was having a great time at Santacon's starting point, the pedestrian plaza on Broadway just south of Times Square. "This is my first Santacon because I haven't been here for the holidays the last two years, so I'm super excited," she told Gothamist. "We took the 9:21 am LIRR and are hitting up all the bars. All! The! Bars! I'm finally 21! I'm super excited!"
The MTA took caution and banned alcohol from all Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road trains and stations for a 32 hour period, ending at noon on Sunday.
Santacon revelers in Manhattan last year
As always, the effort and creativity that went into individual costumes varied considerably, from elaborate pagan snow gods to dudes who just, like, wore a red shirt. There were hordes of Santas, of course, from the traditional-looking to nightmarish. There were reindeer, snowpeople, Christmas trees, Grinches, and lots and lots of rude "ugly sweaters." The record-warm weather allowed many participants to strip off most of their layers as the day wore on.
One trio of women from the East Village showed up as "Mr. WorldClause"—Anika Perrera attempted to explain: "It's Pitbull, but Santa. This is our first Santacon, and we're here because we were drunk and thought of the idea and decided to make it happen." Her friend Morgan Schreiber laid out the Mr. WorldClause agenda for the day. "We're in it to win it, we decided if we're going, we gotta go all out."
Santacon haters took to Twitter early and often, but the upside, the hordes of thirsty (and, eventually, hungry) visitors bring money to local businesses--many of which, especially in Midtown, were hit hard by the pandemic. Plus, according to the Santacon NYC website, in the past ten years, the event has raised more than $750,000 for organizations like City Harvest, the Ali Forney Center, the Secret Sandy Claus Project, and the Food Bank for New York City.
But let's be real. The vast majority of people were out there to party. As Shantel Nunoz, who came down from Washington Heights with a crew of seven, said: "This is my first Santacon! It's fun, it's exciting! You know we're going to have a good time. We're here to take over New York today! I just hope everyone stays responsible..."
Tagged
santacon
Scott Lynch
Photojournalist, food writer, preschool receptionist. Love NYC.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 16, 2026
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
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 .