SANTA'S VILLAGE: Celebrating 50 Years |
This is an area that just seems timeless. For 50 years this park has captured the minds of children young and old and it proved it' s worth all over again for my family when we arrived for our day to see Santa at his summer retreat. The idea for Santa's Village was originally conceived by a number of locals at a Christmas party in the fifties when they were worried about the construction of Highway 11 taking tourists from Bracebridge. I think I am speaking on behalf of many families over the last 50 years when I say THANK YOU to those Kris Kringle pioneers.
Residents living along the 4 kilometre drive that is Santa's Village Drive leading to the park have kept up that tradition of support by helping celebrate the park's 50th anniversary with Christmas decorations on their mail boxes and front lawns. The Christmas spirit is certainly firmly set by the time you pull into the parking lot at the village. The whole town is in on the celebration too with many stores having "Christmas in July" sales and Christmas carol singalongs all summer.
Santa's Village offers up a feeling of comfort and warmth from the first person you meet at the gate, a big smile and a staff that is obviously happy to see you sets the tone.
Once inside the park all of the standards are there - the Rudolph Roller Coaster, the train chugging it's way through the pines, Captain Ricky (in his 25th year) making every child feel special on their boat ride, a handful of tried and true carnival type rides and, of course, the big guy himself, Santa Claus! The best thing about this park is the fact that all of these things are made for the parents to be interactive with their children. Mom and dad can ride with the kids and experience the fun too.
Jamie Hopkins has been the general Manager of Santa's Village for 10 years now and he says that is the secret to their success. "Santa's village owes it's success to it's non-threatening atmosphere that has always been consistent with our demographic" explains Jamie. "That demographic being families with 2 to 10 year olds. We cater to very young families and people have always respected and appreciated that. It shows when you see the same families coming back year after year."
Another part of the success here is their ability to evolve and change. The park started with a story land type theme and has slowly added rides & other features over the years and this year is no different. Elves Island has been given a facelift with new areas to climb and play.
There is a concentrated effort by the park to make its visitors more aware of Wetlands Conservation in the Muskokas. An effort that starts with Mrs. Claus when you stop by to visit Santa as she hands out colouring books to the kids that have the conservation theme.
One of the most appealing parts of this experience is the little things. If you forget your hat, you can pick one up for 3 bucks at the gift shop, all of the games that cost 2 or 3 dollars guarantee a winner every time, the washrooms and seating areas are all very clean, and so on. It is these little things that help make any family's visit even smoother.
Sportsland is a part of the park but it is off to the side which makes it easy for a family to avoid if there little ones are not quite ready for go kart rides, batting cages or Lazer Tag. If you do have a gang that wants to tackle this area there are separate costs involved that can be checked out at the Santa's Village website. I took both kids for a go-cart ride (you have to be 12 to ride alone) for a cost of 12 dollars. The ride was a good 6 or 7 minutes and the kids loved it. I was impressed with how the staff made sure our helmets were properly buckled and our seatbelts were firmly in place too.
The average family stay is about 4 hours and the cost is $19.95 for anyone 5 and up, $ 14.95 for 2 to 4 years old and seniors and free for the under 2 set. The hours are 10 to 6 daily and it is well worth the investment of your time and money when you see your kids with an ear to ear smile only topped by the grin they have on Christmas day.
Don't miss the 50th celebration! www.santasvillage.ca
AN INTERVIEW WITH SANTA
By Emmy Williams
Q. What do you do in the summer?
A. I like to rest here at Santa's Village and spend my days
meeting children with Mrs Claus.
Q. Who is your favourite reindeer?
A. Well, I'm not supposed to have any favourites but if I
have to pick one, I guess it would be Rudolph because he has some
special qualities that really help me on Christmas Eve.
Q. What does Rudolph do in the summer?
A."He likes to run and play with the other reindeers
in the North Pole so he is in good shape for Christmas eve."
Q What is your favourite food and why?
A. "Well, I'm a meat and potatoes man for sure. I love
my roast beef and Yorkshire pudding!"
Q. Why have you been coming here for your summers for 50 years?
A. "Well I know I will see children from all over the
world every day and that is a lot of fun. Just today I have met
children from Germany, England, Canada and the United States!"
Q. What do the Elves do all summer?
A."Well they are working very hard in the North Pole
making toys and getting things ready for next Christmas of course!"
Q. What is your favourite song?
A. "Jingle Bells is my favourite because everyone can
sing along with me!"
Q. What do you think Santa's Village will be like fifty years
from now?
A. "Well I think we will plant some more trees and maybe
tune up the boat but other than that I hope it never changes - it
is a really special place to be."
