Don and Bev O’Brien of Edwardsville at SantaCon 2023 in Manhattan on Dec. 9
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Thousands of people participated in SantaCon 2023 in New York City on Dec. 9.
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Don and Bev O’Brien of Edwardsville mingle at SantaCon 2023 in Manhattan on Dec. 9.
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Don and Bev O’Brien of Edwardsville have a drink with a friend at SantaCon 2023 in Manhattan on Dec. 9.
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Thousands of people participated in SantaCon 2023 in New York City on Dec. 9.
Submitted Photo
Don and Bev O’Brien of Edwardsville pose for a photo at SantaCon 2023 in Manhattan on Dec. 9.
Submitted Photo
Don and Bev O’Brien of Edwardsville pose with a replica of the Statue of Liberty at SantaCon 2023 in Manhattan on Dec. 9.
Submitted Photo
EDWARDSVILLE — Don and Bev O’Brien have been to 10 straight SantaCon events in New York City, but the 2023 trip was really special.
With thousands of revelers packing downtown Manhattan, Don found himself in more selfies than ever before and he even ended up atop a bus overlooking the crowd with singer/songwriter Michael Buble.
No, Don and Michael did not do a duet, but for Don, this was a special trip.
“We’ve been going every year,” said Don, a retired Navy Master Chief and a former physician’s assistant. “We participate because the event raises money for food kitchens in New York City and the people are great — the camaraderie is fantastic.”
Don and Bev reside in Edwardsville. Bev is a server at III Guys Bar & Restaurant on Route 11.
Part of the SantaCon day includes a charity pub crawl and Don and Bev did manage to get to a few stops. This year, Don said he decided to dress as a tropical Santa with his shirt and accessories.
When asked how he and Bev first got involved in SantaCon, Don said they kind of stumbled upon it.
“We were in Manhattan one year and we noticed all these people were dressed as Santa Claus,” Don said. “We thought it was great and we decided to participate the next year and now we’ve done it for 10 years.”
Don said SantaCon is like Scranton’s St. Patrick’s Day parade on steroids. He said the crowd is always in the 30,000 range. He said he and Bev have seen people dressed as Christmas trees, wooden soldiers, elves, The Grinch, and much more.
“We have gotten to know several people who also attend it every year,” Don said. “So it’s a time when we renew a lot of those friendships.”
Published reports in the New York media noted there were dogs dressed up as presents in midtown Manhattan for the pub crawl starting at West 39th Street and Broadway. The event typically draws around 30,000 participants throughout the day, stretching from Times Square to the East Village.
Crowds were heard singing, “SantaCon is coming to town.”
SantaCon NYC is usually on the second Saturday in December — in 2023 it was held on Saturday, Dec. 9, beginning at 10 a.m.
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
