I thought SantaCon would be a disaster — it was a delightful mess instead

The day started with a phone alert that sounded like the end of the world: San Francisco’s first-ever tornado warning. Tornadoes, in this city? It’s like hearing the Golden Gate Bridge announced its plans to pack up and move to Fresno — absurd, and yet, somehow, today’s reality.

“SantaCon is canceled this year,” my husband told me as he stared out out bedroom window at the opaque sky with marble-sized raindrops hitting our apartment building at a 45-degree angle. “No one is going to go out to party in this weather.”

Maybe I’d finally reached the point where San Francisco’s weird weather moods would defeat me. But no, it was SantaCon, and I wasn’t about to miss it. I’d heard all the stories about drunken debauchery, public urination, and bad behavior — SantaCon’s reputation precedes it. I half-expected to hate it, but instead discovered an oddly chill afternoon, even when the weather couldn’t decide its own mood.

The sun quickly gave way to a violent downpour and some electricity, and the Santas scattered under umbrellas, the overhang of Tylor Florence’s Miller & Lux Provisions, and under the arm of the nearest Santa. The rain came and went so quickly that the crowds had time to bounce back before morale was affected, and it made it kind of exciting to be out there — like we were risking our lives for this party.

By 2 p.m. I started looking for the 40-member TempTime Carolers band, but found 6 ladies singing from under the cover of one of the organization’s tents. Next to them was the toy drive and Santa Tom, who seemed to be enjoying having adults sitting on his lap.

Less wholesome activities a few feet away. Groups of young people passed around bottles of booze, some which looked like household cleaning products. When one dropped his glass bottle he was met with heckling — “They’re not going to let us drink anymore!” But a volunteer brought over a sweeping apparatus and everything was fine.

A few couples seemed to be feeling the Christmas spirit in their libidos and were groping each other next to the Macy’s Christmas tree. But other than that it seemed to me like a family-friendly event — contrary to the explicit declaration that it is not, as well as the Santa boycott by many local businesses.

ICYMI: 30 years after SantaCon began as an anti-commercialism prank in San Francisco, the event has spread to 300 cities. In the process of this mass virality, problems have arisen; mostly ones you would expect when you gather tens of thousands of people gathering to drink and be merry. They put on cheap Santa suits, grab a questionable amount of alcohol, and descend on San Francisco’s bars like red-and-white locusts. It’s part holiday cheer, part social experiment, and part public hazard.

The last part got local businesses fed up — along with a typical routine annual bitching about it online. New York City called for the end of SantaCon in 2011, and Eater SF published “No Santas” signs in 2012 that bars began posting in their windows.

In 2014, the official SF SantaCon organizers declared San Francisco SantaCon was over, and Santas became another marginalized sect of society.

Eventually a Petaluma mall Santa and Vietnam vet stepped in and rebranded SantaCon as a toy drive, restoring San Franciscans’ faith in the holiday a little bit and creating what is now the San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program’s largest toy donor.

There was even a map made this year to help guide partygoers to safe places.

I asked a few of the Santas what they thought about the event’s poor reputation and whether or not they had seen any of the behavior that had caused it. To my surprise, it seemed like no one in Union Square on Saturday was aware of the Holly Jolly drama, and in fact, were shocked when I told them.

Erin — a teacher from Canada had come all the way from Vancouver with a group of friends — and 2 moms of her friends — just for SantaCon. Totally prepared with ponchos and other rain gear, Erin told me that they had gone to the New York SantaCon last year, but decided they needed to see the original one.

When I asked how this weekend stacked up to the New York convention Erin replied, “Um, it’s different. The New York one is bigger. But this one is more laid back, and is awesome in terms of like, the spirit.” And in the midst of one of our wettest weekends of the year, the Canadians were still appreciative. “And San Francisco is definitely warmer,” says Erin.

I asked what they knew about Santa Con’s bad reputation and if they had seen any riff-raff since they’d been here. “No way! Even last year when we were in New York, everything was positive and everyone was just having a great time.”

I ran into Kyana Holzman, from Oakland and her friend Vash Boddie, originally from Philadelphia but living in the East Bay. Holzman’s boss is actually the person responsible for creating the ‘Santa Safe Space’ map.

“This year my boss’s mom passed away and she was looking for ways to give back to the community. She saw the lack of resources last year, so she created an interactive map, because not every bar is Santa-friendly.” She also helped out producing the costume contest the night before at the Mostletoe pop-up bar, “It was the first one ever and it went really well!” said Holzman.

I asked Holzman why she thinks everyone hates Santa Con so much and whether or not she’s seen the riff-raff.

“Um, I don’t think people hate Santa Con. I just feel we need less drunken Santas. More responsible Santa’s. Responsible Santa-ing. And more giving back to the community,” she said. “Haven’t seen anything bad happen but when I feel the energy changing towards the night, I usually just go home.”

Holzman told me that she thinks tonight will be better than the preceding years, due to the Santa safe space map. “There are a lot more venues doing after parties and instead of people just blindly looking for a place to go, they’ll have the map, so kind of like being prepared for what’s to come.”

“I feel like the map is a form of harm reduction,” I said. Holzman agreed. “And the people that want to be a part of it already know what could possibly happen. So they’re prepared.”

Holzman’s friend Boddie interjected our conversation: “I’m glad when she asked you if there’s any riff-raff, you didn’t point at me,” he said. “I’m the riffraff!” He laughed, but I could tell he was serious. “This is my first SantaCon. It’s really fantastic. It really kickstarted my whole Christmas spirit, because more and more, we’re getting away from really what Christmas means. It’s just become this like, money thing. But this this is about giving. It’s a toy drive, first of all, and yesterday the costume party was about community. And then tomorrow will be about recovery.”

I asked Boddie if he planned to stay through the entire night, regardless of how messy it gets.

“Oh, oh, oh, YEAH. I’m not sure what your standard of messy is, but I helped create it. I’m looking forward to having a great time. You can drink responsibly and have a great time. Or you can get passed out drunk and have a good time. With joy in your heart, you’ll be all right.”

In breaks between the heavy clouds I chatted with Bay Area natives Amorani Hernandez and Tatiana Diaz, both who have moved out of the city to the east and south bay. They were both weather very sexy, very small Santa dresses — a subculture of SantaCon known as the HoHoHos.

“Um, so, are you guys cold at all?” I asked

“Not at all,” replied Diaz.

“Too hot to get cold?” I posed.

“I’m actually kind of toasty,” Hernandez taunted my questioning.

This was their second year at SantaCon. “Oh my God, it is so exciting,” they hummed in unison. “I wish the weather was a little bit better, but it’s really, really fun to be part of the community and just kind of have fun with everybody.”

I asked about their awareness of the reputation and the fact that SantaCon was actually canceled a few times.

They told me they had no idea. They admitted that it was less family-friendly and more “for the party people” but they’re also aware of the charity element and have never heard anything about people running amuck or causing problems.

“I feel like this is like such a San Francisco thing to do,” says Amorani, “and to even consider canceling it would be insane. I love to be here, and I feel like it brings tourists around.This is such a local activity to do and it makes me want to come back to the city even though I don’t live here anymore.”

“It’s really nice to be part of the city again,” echoed Diaz.

San Francisco native Kylani told me she and her crew have been doing SantaCon for the last 4 years.

I asked about the terrible reputation and she replied “What?! We bring toys for the kids! We would never ruin the city like that”

“Okay, good,” I said, “And then are you guys cold?

“No.”

“Were you cold when it was raining?”

“Yes.”

“Is there any like, weather situation or any other kind of situation that could have caused you not to not come today?”

“No. If the tornado was here, we would still come.”

Courtney Muro is a San Francisco-based content strategist, producer, designer, and creator.

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