The Selfies with Santa Holiday Festival was pretty amazing. We now have families who have been coming to this for eight years – some began on their baby’s very first Christmas, and have been every year since (except 2020). Some of them even bring photos to show Santa their history.

It is always a thrill. Unlike the mall, they can take as many photos as they want, in search of that elusive perfect picture. When they hand their phone to me, I ask, “How much storage do you have on this?” Because I am going to fill it up! And Santa is, of course, so wonderful with the children, all the children – the polite ones, the rambunctious ones, the children with special needs, even the grown-up children who are masquerading as dignified adults.

The rest of the festival included a “pay what you’d like” bake sale and silent auction. Both were terrific, bringing in some needed funds and contributing to the celebratory aspect.

A huge thank you to all the volunteers, because you made this festival the smooth-running operation it has developed into. (And it was fun spending the day together, too.)