Annville Santa continues COVID tradition, opening his yard to free visits and photos
Three years ago, Trevor Webster, 46, from Annville, tried to take his two youngest children to see Santa Claus at a large box store. It was the middle of the pandemic, and Santa had been separated from the children with a large Plexiglass wall that he had been sitting several feet behind. On top of that, he was wearing a face shield that cause light to reflect back to the camera, ruining the photos.
"I kinda stewed on it a bit, and a few days later I said to (his wife), 'I wanna build house out front, dress up as Santa Claus and let people come take pictures,'" he said. "And she thought I was nuts."
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Webster put together a small hut using pallets, decorated it a bit and borrowed a Santa Claus suit from Fort Indiantown Gap.
He stood outside for 4 or 5 days in December 2020, waving at the passing cars and letting children come up and see Santa. About 30 or 40 kids came to see him that year.
Webster said that from that first year he was hooked, and since then has looked forward to the event all year round.
"I love doing this, and I love being able to give this to the families around here that want to come," he said. "Christmas is about giving. Christmas is about the gift of presence, like being here."
Webster said that the community around him has been very supportive of him.
The next year, he and his wife, Kat, pulled together more resources, decorating inside and around the hut more using mostly donated and thrifted items. They also set up specific dates and times for people to come and advertised a bit more through Facebook. He even took a walk through Annville in his suit to get the word out.
That year, Webster said, about 50 or 60 kids came to see him.
When children come to see Webster, they pick color-coded poker chips from a basket that notes levels of comfort. Green chips let him know that they're comfortable enough to come and sit on Santa's lap to get their picture taken, yellow chips let him know that they're only comfortable enough to maybe stand next to him and talk, while red chips say that maybe the child is afraid or isn't ready for Santa. This plan was devised by his wife and has so far been successful, he said.
"It gave us a way to communicate to them that we're here, however you want," he said. "Santa Claus is not afraid to spend some time with the kids."
Webster said that he is vaccinated, boosted and ACT 15 compliant.
He keeps two bags under his hut, one for presents that he hands out to the kids who visit, which have been donated, and the other with treats for the animals that visit.
This year, with a new enclosure made from real lumber, a custom tailored Santa Claus suit and expanded dates and times, the Websters are just about ready for their first date on Saturday, Dec. 3.
The new suit was custom made by Teresa Varner, a tailor from Hummelstown
The event is located in front of the Websters' home at 101 Reigerts Lane, right across from the Annville-Cleona High School.
Visitors can park on Reigerts Lane, or if the street is full, in the high school parking lot.
On Dec. 3, 10 and 17, Webster will be outside and available for visits from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.
on Dec. 4, 11 and 18, he will be available from 10 a.m. until 3p.m.
Webster said that outside of snakes, he is pet friendly.
There's absolutely no cost associated with visiting Santa, but donations are accepted. All in all, Webster said that he has put probably $3,000 into the event.
"I don't keep track, 'cause I don't care. I really do not care," he said. "My reward is the smiles on the kids' faces."
While the Websters spend pretty much the entire year planning and gathering supplies for the event, it takes about two weeks in November to set up the display.
Daniel Larlham Jr. is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at DLarlham@LDNews.com or on Twitter @djlarlham
This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Annville Santa returns for a third year
