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On The Plus Side, SantaCon's Canceled?
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 26, 2020
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By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 26, 2020
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From the Silver Lining file, here's something else to be thankful for today: SantaCon, the annual debauched meathead magnet bar crawl that floods certain unfortunate neighborhoods with blathering bro-chads in Santa costumes every December, has been officially canceled this year. SantaCon's organizers said the pandemic was to blame.
An all-caps announcement on the NYC SantaCon website reads: "ALL OF THE REINDEER GOT THE ‘RONA SO, THE ELVES HAVE ADVISED SANTA TO HOLD OFF ON THE IN-PERSON MERRIMENT. THERE IS NO SANTACON NYC THIS YEAR."
The NYC SantaCon website encourages disappointed Santas to "stay home and remain on the good list," and donate the money they would have spent on Jager Bombs to Helping Hearts NYC, which delivers "hot meals to New York’s most at-risk groups."
To be fair, the local organizers of SantaCon, which began in San Fransisco in 1994 as a subversive, surreal art prank, have made a concerted effort to de-frat the annual event, with PSAs urging participants to behave courteously, donate to charity, and drink in moderation. Of course, some Santas just can't be reasoned with—not when they've made the trip all the way from Hempstead for this thing.
As we wait to find out if SantaCon will happen this year anyway, despite efforts by the anonymous NYC organizers to cancel it, enjoy a look back at last year's SantaCon and remember the Before Times.
And don't worry; looks like the Hoboken SantaCon is still happening on December 19th.
Tagged
COVID-19
coronavirus
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.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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