For the 8th year, River Santa and his team of elves will be welcoming the real Santa Claus when he arrives by boat at the village of Alexandria Bay, NY, on Saturday December 16th.
There will be an official escort and hundreds of children will be able to watch Santa come across the River by boat with his escort and arrive at the Scenic View Park Pavilion.
This is the first time that the event will have a roof over the heads of all the children, Santa, and the gifts. The new curtains will be in place on the pavilion and neither rain nor sleet nor snow will dampen the spirits of the attendees.
There will be free cookies and hot chocolate. There will also be a Christmas movie playing on a jumbo screen, hay wagon rides, and a petting zoo. There is absolutely no charge for admission, everyone is welcome, and all children 12 and under will receive a present that will be age and gender specific. Santa is a great shopper!
In 2022 Santa was able to deliver over 650 presents.
Additionally, the charity was able to donate over $33,000 to Backpack programs, food pantries, and other nonprofits.
Festivities begin at 10 AM with Santa arriving promptly at 11 AM. Scenic View Park Pavilion is on the hill next to the hospital, facing the river. There will be some merchants open for Christmas shopping and some restaurants open for dining.
More information can be found on social media by searching 1000 Islands River Santa Festival.
By Doug Tulloch
Doug Tulloch, retired realtor, spent most of his career in Park City, Utah. He was originally brought to the River in a bassinet. Even living in Utah, his summers were spent at the River as much as possible, returning permanently in 2012. His hobbies include boating, biking, travel, and photography, along with a litany of motorsports. He is the founder of the Park City Turkey Drive, 1000 Islands River Santa, and co-founder of Thousand Islands Charity Poker run. [Note see "A Big Shout Out to Doug Tulloch," January 2016 TI Life. And “doing something small for others.” October 2021. https://thousandislandslife.com/doing-something-small-for-others/
[Editor’s Note: How do you say thanks to someone who just seems to do nice things for nice people all the time. It was back in December 2015 that I met Doug Tulloch by email. (A Big Shout Out to Doug Tulloch, January 2016). It seems Doug had an idea to bring Santa to Alexandra Bay. Doug had been talking to Brian Hudon, a teacher at the local school, and he learned that some children would not have a happy Christmas that year, so Doug took to his Facebook … 19 December 2015 at 15:41:
Alexandria Bay, NY: “OK; so here's the deal. This Christmas Eve just after dark, around 5 PM, I'm going to arrive at the upper bay dock in Alexandria Bay dressed as Santa Claus in a boat. with Christmas lights on it. We are looking for two things. . .”
The rest, of course, is history because for all these years Doug and his many elves have worked hard to bring Santa back to Alexandria Bay and to provide gifts and financial support to many organizations. So, thank you Doug Tulloch and to all those who contribute and who volunteer. That is the real Christmas spirit.
Posted in: Volume 18, Issue 11, November 2023, News article, People, Places
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