Kids Meet Santa, Get in Holiday Spirit at Santa Village’s Opening Weekend

Donations from the event all go towards a good cause

FARGO, N.D. — Ol’ Saint Nick is taking a break from checking his naughty and nice lists to spend some time with kids here in the metro.

Santa’s Village kicked off today at Rheault Farm. Kids could meet Santa, decorate cookies, and do lots of other activities.

“People have asked me about my beard and I’d make a good Santa, so I thought, ‘I like kids, talking with kids, hearing the stories, and making kids happy,'” Santa Claus said.

He’s not the only figure who came down from the North Pole; his trusty chauffeurs also came for a visit.

“The kids are of course excited to see Santa Claus and seeing the reindeer, it’s not something you see every day, seeing three live reindeer,” Jessica Korynta, event specialist for the Fargo Park District, said.

The kids’ joy is definitely a big highlight.

“I love seeing the smiles and the joy it brings the kids, the Christmas spirit,” Santa said.

Most kids want traditional toys, but if they’re too shy to ask Santa in person, they can also write a letter, and when it’s mailed off, it’ll all go towards a good cause. Macy’s will donate a dollar to the Make-a-Wish Foundation for every letter.

Other donations go towards food banks, hospitals, and children’s organizations.

“We hope kids take away how the holiday season is about giving back and really support your community in a productive way,” Korynta said.

“It’s just part of the Christmas tradition, I think it’s important for families to come together and do stuff like this together,” Allison Kuznia, who’s visiting with her family, said.

“This is really a thrill for me, because it makes you feel young again and it takes you back to when your kids were young,” Paul Coppin, who visited with his grandson, said.

For a full list of dates and times for Santa Village, click here.

If you want to track Santa as you wait for your presents, Google Maps and the North American Aerospace Defense Command have Santa trackers so you can see where in the world he is.

If you are sending letters to Santa through the U.S. Postal Service, they have something called Operation Santa, where people can volunteer to respond to kids’ letters.