We’ve made it halfway through the holiday season. Now that Mother Nature has dropped the temperature below 50 degrees it really feels like we can start celebrating. How does this fun-loving girl celebrate the holidays? I dress up as Santa Claus and run around the city with thousands of other Santas.
Santacon, as it is known, is a convention of Santa Claus’. Many people mistakenly refer to this event as a bar crawl. Santacon’s twitter clearly states, “Every time you call Santacon a bar crawl, a sugarplum fairy dies.” Don’t let them fool you, though. While many of the selected locations aren’t bars, Santacon always recommends some nearby.
The events attempt to replicate the anticipation you had as a child on Christmas Eve. They reveal the starting point at midnight before the big day. They also recommend that you dress in FULL costume. Santa says, “Anyone caught without one will be pelted with reindeer droppings and receive coal in their stocking.” That’s not really a risk I was willing to take, so I put on my cutest red dress and decorated myself with red ribbon, a cheetah Santa hat, matching stockings, and leopard scarf. I was an animal! Animal Santa!
I never made it to the starting point at the North Cove Marina since the event started at 10 AM. I followed Santacon's Twitter where they announce each new location. Finally, Santa was on the move to the South Street Seaport. As I approached Water Street to meet my friend, Taryn, I was surrounded with a variety of Santas and everything Christmas and Hanukkah. There were reindeer, snowmen, gingerbread men/women, presents, and even Hanukkah Harry. Everyone packed in the Seaport's bars, but it seemed clear to me that Santa had been drinking for a few hours. I’ve heard Santacon also alluded to as every bartender’s nightmare, and now I can see why. Can you imagine thousands of drunken Santas yelling for drinks and chanting “Ho! Ho! Ho!” over and over? It may be a terror for them but as a Santa it’s a blast. The next message came through and Santa was on the move to City Hall. I never made it there either. The bathroom line was packed with many intoxicated Mrs. Claus. I did make it to the following location - Grand Central Station.
Half the fun of this day is taking the subway, packed with Santas. Everyone sings Christmas carols and you actually converse with people standing next to you. All the regular people on the train stare at you in confusion, or they slap on ear buds and pretend you don’t exist. Bah-humbug!
Grand Central is always bustling with people, but I had never seen anything like this. The main corridor was filled with Santas. We came across a group dancing with headphones on. A woman handed us a pair and we realized it was a silent disco. Everyone was dancing to the same music! It was like a private party. As we handed back our headphones Taryn and I decided we had enough of the crowds and it was time for food and a nap.
I was ready for a relaxing day of football when I woke up on Sunday. You see, my fantasy team is in the playoffs and I’ve got to keep up with my hot shot QB, Drew Brees. I’m also a die-hard Florida Gators college football fan and my infatuation with the Broncos quarterback, Tim Tebow, has yet to waver. I met up with some friends at this sports bar,
Blue Haven, in Greenwich Village. This intimate bar had lots of TVs and great beer selection on tap. The wings smelled so good as they passed by it made my mouth water. My friends and I were able to watch the game and chat without screaming at each other. The bartender was very friendly and even though the pub felt busy it wasn’t over run with douche-y frat boys.
Then a friend called me & invited me to
Bounce to watch the Giants game at 8:30 PM. I usually object to heading above 14th street on weekends but I always have a good time at this bar. If you like other Flatiron bars like The
The Ainsworth but are looking for more of a day party, then you will love Bounce. It is an absolute shit-show stacked with attractive people. Banquets along the back induce table dancing and the limited space to get to the bar forces interaction among cliques. This place is a meat market, so single guys invite your single girls and it’s guaranteed you will all have a good time.
I’m like that kid that never wants to go to sleep because I’m afraid all the grown ups are downstairs having fun without me. I love to find new places to try or establish a holiday tradition. You can find me running around Manhattan in full holiday gear on Saturday. Then sports bar hopping on any given Sunday. This city has more than enough options for merrymaking or cheering on your favorite football team. If you would rather enjoy life then sleep, New York City is the place for you. That is why I love this city.
For more Why I Heart NYC with Adrianne Benzion stay tuned to Clubplanet!
