PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Throughout the late afternoon and early evening on Saturday, Dec. 12, numerous families lined up in their vehicles at the Aroostook Centre Mall for their chance to see Santa Claus before Christmas.
The outdoor event, hosted by Wintergreen Arts Center, was a far cry from the center’s usual holiday lineup, which typically features a Family Gingerbread Festival and Wintergreen Express trolley rides. But this year the COVID-19 pandemic had staff thinking outside the box on how to spread holiday cheer while keeping people safe.
“We had hoped to do a holiday crafting and cookie decorating event inside, but once October came we decided we didn’t want to take a chance,” Wintergreen Executive Director Dottie Hutchins said, referring to the potential for increased COVID-19 cases.
At the start of the event, Hutchins said that 79 vehicles were registered to drive through the parking lot, meaning that 150 children were expected to visit with Santa Claus. Many others who were not aware of the event beforehand drove by out of curiosity and asked if they could purchase tickets.
Wintergreen Arts Center staff and volunteers directed traffic from the mall entrance near Lowe’s to the parking lot next to the former K-Mart garden center. Families viewed holiday blow-up decorations and festive farm and construction equipment courtesy of Smith’s Farm, Theriault Equipment, Porter Farms and Condon Sign.
As visitors drove through the line, volunteer Chad Brewer collected childrens’ letters to Santa. Mr. Claus himself, along with Mrs. Claus, stood next to the Presque Isle Historical Society’s Molly the Trolley, chatting with children as everyone remained socially distant inside their vehicles.
Santa’s “elf” Kim Guerrette Michaud passed out goodie bags of cookies, frosting, sprinkles, a packet of hot cocoa mix and a button depicting Santa Claus on Molly the Trolley wearing a red mask, courtesy of local cartoonist Brent Dyer.
Bentley, 7, and his brother Beckett Jordan, 6, of Presque Isle, were excited to meet Santa Claus and ask for Fortnite and Star Wars Nerf guns. Their mother, Kasandra Jordan, said that the drive-thru visits were a welcome distraction from the lack of holiday events happening this year.
“We were just talking about how we miss the Wintergreen Express rides,” Jordan said. “But the boys liked being able to see Santa and hand in their letters.”
Whether the outdoor visits will remain part of the holiday lineup for 2021 is still uncertain. But regardless of the challenges going on in the world, Hutchins said that the joy of seeing children’s happy faces light up made the event well worth it.
“We were determined to do something this year. We couldn’t let Christmas go by without giving these kids a chance to see Santa,” Hutchins said.
Santa Claus visits with 6-year-old Beckett Jordan (at window) and his brother Bentley Jordan, 7, (inside truck) during Wintergreen’s drive-thru visits with Santa on Saturday. (Melissa Lizotte | The Star Herald)
