Wednesday, April 17, 2024
For those who have somehow managed to be nice all year, this bit of news might spur some naughty expletives: Santa’s House is canceled this year.
The reason, of course, is COVID-19. Since the popular attraction draws thousands of visitors during the month-long Christmas season, Mr. and Mrs. Claus — per their local representatives, Ken and Arlis Holland — felt it was in everyone’s best interest to skip the lap chats and photo ops.
This year would have been the sixth year for Santa’s House, which is constructed in the courthouse gazebo out of colorful, hand-painted panels. Starting after the Granbury Night of Lights Parade the night after Thanksgiving, volunteers staff Santa’s House every weekend for about a month.
The free attraction has grown steadily in popularity since its first year when 2,845 people walked through the portal to experience the magic of Christmas. Last year’s numbers totaled 6,745.
Santa’s House is not only popular with local families, it has been a hit with visitors as well. Last year Visit Granbury began promoting Santa’s House as a fullfledged tourist attraction, decorating the city’s iconic green trolley will a large “wrap” of Santa and the message “Follow me to Santa’s House.”
Children and adults alike have been drawn to in-person visits with St. Nick, according to Arlis Holland.
Requests from children have ranged from the newest model iPhone to restored health for a sibling with cancer.
Over the course of four Christmas seasons, a woman in her 60s shared with Santa her worries about her husband’s health, Holland related. The woman came back last year to let Santa know that her husband had passed away.
The cancellation of Santa’s House means that the compassionate man in the red suit will not be available to lend an ear to those who find joy in presents or comfort in his presence.
But that doesn’t mean that the Grinch has completely stolen Christmas.
At its regular meeting Tuesday, the Commissioners Court approved Arlis Holland’s request to place a special mailbox outside the courthouse specifically for letters to Santa. No postage will be required.
Holland told the HCN on Wednesday that her husband Ken or county Facilities Maintenance Director Jay Riley may construct a large red mailbox for the letters to Santa.
Santa will respond to every letter as long as the return address is legible, she stated.
The Commissioners Court also approved signage to explain why Santa is missing in action this year.
“It will be something lighthearted to explain that we’re just looking after the safety of everybody,” Holland said.
The county judge and commissioners also agreed to allow the Hollands to place photo op decorations on the courthouse property: a sleigh; a “billboard” painting of Santa in his sleigh flying over the courthouse; and a two-sided “tower” with different holiday paintings on each side.
Holland expressed appreciation to the Commissioners Court, which she said has always been supportive of Santa’s House regardless of who held the elected positions.
She said that some details are still being worked out, such as when the mailbox and photo op decorations will be placed on site.
UP IN THE AIR
As for other holiday events that traditionally take place on and around the square, such as the Night of Lights Christmas Parade, it is not yet known whether those events will move forward, according to Visit Granbury Director Tammy Dooley and Historic Granbury Merchants Association (HGMA) president Ken Hackett.
Dooley did say, though, that Faye Landham’s Away in a Manger display of more than 1,000 nativity scenes depicting the birth of Christ will be on display as usual at the Langdon Center.
Hackett and Dooley said that, per the governor’s executive order, Mayor Nin Hulett will have the authority to ultimately make a decision about community holiday events.
Hackett said that no decisions are expected until much closer to the event dates.
He also stated that if the “Granbury – A Candlelight Tour” event moves forward, it will likely be in a different form that will not involve groups of people walking through other people’s homes.
Although Christmas in Granbury is pretty much guaranteed to look different this year, there is an effort underway to ensure that the spirit of Christmas remains, along with a spirit of determination to not be defeated by a pandemic.
“Tourism has definitely been affected (by COVID-19), but everybody is trying to do everything they can to keep it alive,” Dooley said. “And we’re doing better than most communities. But it’s a balancing act.”
MAGICAL SEASON
This Christmas the Hollands, and Mr. and Mrs. Claus, won’t be seeing the little boy who captured their hearts a couple of years ago, but Arlis knows that he is likely doing just fine.
She related that on his first visit, the child marched up to Santa, hand on his hip, and announced that he had been naughty.
“We immediately loved that little boy because he was the only one who was ever honest,” Holland joked.
Rather than admonishing the child, Holland said that Santa assured him that everyone misbehaves from time to time, but the important thing is to try to be good.
Holland said that the boy’s parents quietly related that they had recently adopted him. He had come from a “not-so-safe home” and had been lashing out.
The next year, the boy and his parents showed up again at Santa’s House. The boy again marched up to Santa, hand on hip, but this time proudly announced that he had been good.
“(The parents) said, ‘You know, whatever Santa told him last year made him work harder,’” Holland related.
“The little boy comes running out (after the visit), happy as can be. The mom walks out, and she’s crying because she’s happy, and dad walks out and says, ‘We are a family.’”
Santa may not have that profound an effect on everyone, but, well, miracles do happen now and then.
And, as Holland likes to say, “Christmas should be a magical time.”
kcruz@hcnews.com | 817- 573-7066, ext. 267
