Like a sea of scarlet waves with white caps crashing against an indifferent gray shore, a tide of 3,000 Santas descended upon Williamsburg last weekend, leaving only a frothy trail of Christmas cheer behind them.
Part costumed festival, part flash-mob, the annual “Santa Con” tradition engulfed the city with sugar plum kisses and stale beer all day on December 12.
Starting at 10 a.m., thousands of Santas, elves, reindeer, and a Hanukkah dwarf or two gathered at The Warsaw (261 Driggs Ave.), one of the five starting points throughout the city, for Bloody Marys and mimosas.
After receiving their coordinates from senior navigational elves via Twitter, the Santas moved southeast through McCarren Park, making a quick layover at the Turkey’s Nest Tavern (94 Bedford Ave.) for slurpies to-go before heading to their first major destination: Brooklyn Bowl (61 Wythe Ave.) at noon.
“We were expecting them,” said a frantic Brooklyn Bowl owner Charley Ryan, as officers from the 94th Precinct swiftly ushered scores of Santas out of the street and through the club’s double doors.
Inside, Santas let off some necessary pre-Holidays steam by boogying down to Christmas hits remixed by the club’s DJs, while Bad Santa played on a video screen to the side of the stage. Dance circles soon formed, leading several Santas to show off their best break-dancing moves.
“It was the best dance party I have ever been to before 1 p.m.,” said Williamsburg resident Lacey “Mrs. Claus” Tauber.
By 2 p.m., it was time to move on, as the Santas wandered through the northside towards the L-train before their final rendezvous later that afternoon in Times Square. Not surprisingly, many kept Ho! Ho! Hoing late into the night, as gaggles of Santas in stained and gently rumpled costumes were spotted on the L train at midnight heading back into Williamsburg for a meet-up at a bar on Bedford Avenue, sure to wrap up their holly jolly Christmas in festive style.
