New Exhibit at Santa Claus Museum

Just before Christmas a new exhibit opened at The Santa Claus Museum, featuring a recreation of Jim Yellig, who was Santa at Santa Claus Land for many many years and is the father of Museum Founder and Holiday World icon Pat Koch.

The exhibit was created by The Weber Group of Sellersburg, Ind. They recently posted a wonderful blog on their site about this project including photos of brothers Tom and Donny Weber's own visits to Santa Claus Land back in the 1950s.

Click here to read The Weber Group's Blog!

Sisters Serve as Elves

The Santa's Elves, Inc., organization has all its volunteers working feverishly to help Santa send out letters to children from all over the world who have mailed their letters to Santa Claus, Ind. The Elves nerve center is The Santa Claus Museum, which right now has an entire room littered with letters and envelopes and stamps, not to mention a lot of "Elves" with writers cramp. This year Santa Claus, Ind. has received more than twice as many letters to Santa as last year creating a major Elf shortage!! All sorts of groups and organizations have been pitching in.

Recently, the Sisters of St. Benedict have chipped in to help! Sister Agnes Marie writes about it on her blog, Discover God in the Every Day. With Us.

It just goes to show that Santa's Elves aren't just at the North Pole!!

Google Sightseeing Features Santa Claus, Ind.

Santa Claus, Ind. is featured on the homepage of Google Sightseeing's website. Click here to check it out! I just love their website slogan: Why Bother Seeing the World for Real! Although, we hope here that you do come see Santa Claus, Indiana for real!!

Christmas in Santa Claus Festival 2008

Christmas Festival Memories

Here's a link to a great blog from a family who visited our Christmas in Santa Claus Festival this weekend. Check it out! http://thepaynechatelaine.blogspot.com/2008/12/day-13-visit-to-santa-claus-indiana.html They are taking part in the 25 days of Christmas Challenge in which they do something to celebrate Christmas each and every day. What a great idea!

C us on CNN!

I recently filed an I-report on CNN.com responding to a request for stories about people who go all out to celebrate the holiday season. Here in Santa Claus we have decked the halls and trimmed our trees in preparation to welcome thousands to our Christmas in Santa Claus Festival this weekend. My I-report also appeared on the air. If you didn't catch it on TV, you can view it online at http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-157870

Rockport Christmas Parade

Despite the chilly temperatures, a huge crowd gathered to watch the annual Rockport Christmas Parade today. The parade was part of the town's annual Christmas Festival which included a breakfast with Santa, craft show in the Spencer County Courthouse Rotunda, and special activities at Lincoln Pioneer Village. This year's grand marshal was Abraham Lincoln, in honor of his upcoming 200th Birthday. Many of the floats also had a Lincoln Bicentennial theme.

Santa Claus, Ind. Featured in National TV Ad

The tiny town of Santa Claus, Ind., is featured in a national Christmas advertising campaign for RadioShack. The spot is airing now on NBC, ABC, The Weather Channel, Commedy Central, Discovery Channel, NFL Network, ESPN, CNN, TBS, AMC, Fox News Channel, A&E.

Postmark Roadtrip

I love seeing all the people walking into the Santa Claus Post Office this time of year with stacks of holiday cards in hand! Folks drive from all over to come to the Santa Claus, Ind. post office for our special picture postmark.

Today I came across a a post on the Highlowaha Blog mentioning a woman in Sellersburg, Ind., who volunteered to take a road trip to Santa Claus and postmark all her friend's Christmas cards. Now she's definately got the spirit of the season!

For others interested in getting the world-famous Santa Claus Postmark on their cards, our postmaster Marian Balbach offers these tips and suggestions:

1) Allow at least a 2-inch by 4-inch space in the stamp area for the picture postmark;

2) Have postage applied to the cards before bringing or mailing them to the post office;

3) If you wish to mail Christmas cards to the post office, package them - with postage stamps already on them - in a sturdy envelope or box and mail to:
Postmaster, Santa Claus Station, Santa Claus, IN 47579-9998

4) The picture postmark is available Monday through Friday from 9 to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

5) Postal customers must specifically request the picture postmark

6) In order to ensure a good, clear postmark please do not enclose large or bulky items in your holiday mail.

7) There is no charge for postmarking, however, there is a limit of 50 picture postmarks per person per day.

For more information, call the Santa Claus Post Office at 812-937-4469.

Living in a town named Santa Claus.....

This morning I walked into the local gas station to grab a coke on my way to the office and bumped into Santa Claus in Santa Claus, Ind.

You know, not just anyone, who lives anywhere, could say that!

There he was with his flowing white beard and the morning paper! He must have given the reindeer the day off, I thought, as I saw him climb into a gold mini van in the parking lot. I couldn't help but smile and wave at him. I mean, I want to stay on "The Good List!"

I just had the laugh at the insanity of it all.

Living in a town named Santa Claus in the month of December can be pretty hectic! Especially when its my job to promote all our holiday festivities! Luckily, some folks are starting to take notice of all the festiveness our little town holds.

Today, a story about Santa Claus appeared in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. And for those of you who missed the premier of The Travel Channel's Most Christmassy Places in America, it will re-air Thursday, Dec. 4, at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Central Time. Evansville's Fox 7 News included an announcement about the town's Christmas Picture Postmark on its website today as well.