SantaCon

The SantaCon Story

 

SantaCon is the annual mass gathering of people dressed like Santa Claus. The event was first held in San Francisco (where else?) in 1994.  Members of a local social club heard about a political demonstration against the commercialization of Christmas. Back in 1974, a Danish theater group gathered a small army of Santas to take over a Copenhagen department store.

Inspired by the idea of an army of Santas, a small band of merry pranksters launched what has become a worldwide holiday sensation. SantaCons is a non-political, purely surreal event. It combines elements of a flash mob with holiday cheer, bawdy and harmless behavior, the singing of naughty Christmas carols, and the giving of small gifts to strangers. Imagine an army of Santas, maybe 10,000 or more, unleashed on the streets of San Francisco. As you know, the H.E.A.D. Society explores the food and drink history of Northern California and SantaCon is totally home-grown. From humble beginnings, the event has grown into a world-wide phenomenon.

Back in 2011, during the Italian Cookie Walk HEAD Trip, we stumbled upon thousands of people dressed as Santa Claus parading publicly on streets and in bars all around North Beach. We were impressed by the crowd’s spontaneity and creativity – not so much by the naked Santas in Washington Square Park. It seemed that the event’s goal of having a good time while spreading cheer and goodwill fit right in with our society’s mission, vision and values. Immediately we knew that the HEAD Society and SantaCon were a perfect fit.

SantaCon has become the HEAD Society’s only annual event. The 2024 gathering marked the Society’s 12^th. Mark your calendars! The 2^nd Saturday in December is SantaCon.