An agreement between the Town of Normal and Santa Claus’ North Pole Headquarters is bringing phone calls from Santa for children in the community.
Normal Parks and Recreation is arranging Phone Calls from Santa for children ages 2-10. The event requires prior registration for the children to receive personalized phone calls.
Aquatics and Special Events Supervisor Hanna Razo said the event features volunteers dressing up as Santa and Mrs. Claus calling close to 150-200 participants over the span of two nights.
Phone Calls from Santa will be from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 6, and Wednesday, Dec. 8.
“I think that the families just really look forward to it. There's a lot of families that do it every single year, which is kind of, you know, it could be like a tradition for each of the kids,” said Mazo. “They get to talk to Santa at some point and let them know or let Santa know what they want for Christmas.”
Razo said this event has been going on for years as a community favorite.
While many places may not be offering in-person Santa visits, Razo said the phone calls remain a safe alternative for holiday fun.
“Being able to have something that they can do come safely if they want to stay home. You know it's a quick phone call from Santa where they can interact with him. So, it’s just some way that they can interact without being out and about, and trying to find a place to find Santa,” said Razo.
Normal Parks and Recreation also hosted breakfast with Santa on Dec. 4-5. The event was set to feature breakfast, host photos with Santa, and other holiday-themed activities.
