Running of the Santas

You better watch out! Running of the Santas is coming to town.

Thousands of people will take to the streets decked out in Santa gear to participate in Running of the Santas, an all-day bar crawl taking place in locations around the world on dates throughout December.

Started in 1998 as a pub crawl between a small group of friends who wanted to dress in their Santa’s best and go bar hopping, the event has grown across the world, attracting thousands of people dressed as jolly St. Nick in cities across the United States.

While fun to participate in and watch, the event is more than just a typical bar crawl that fills the streets of several cities with thousands of people wearing holiday gear — it raises awareness for several different charitable causes. For example, the Philadelphia festival donates a portion of the ticket prices to the Ellie Koerner Leukemia Foundation to support children with pediatric cancer.

In addition to bar hopping, the day-long festivities include huge concerts, costume contests and a short “run” of a block or two from the designated ‘South Pole’ spot to the ‘North Pole’ location.

General admission tickets start from $15. Visit the website to run with the Santas in a city near you.