What does it take to be a professional Santa in NYC?

NEW YORK (WPIX) – With one less weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas, this holiday season is a mad sleigh dash for the fleet of professional Santas covering New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

The pressure to meet Kris Kringle's impossible standard can be intense. But the Santas are supported by a strong “brotherhood” of men, many of whom never intended to embody the holiday icon, held together by “the moral example of Santa himself.”

“I become Taylor Swift for one month a year. The rest of the year, I’m just a normal guy,” said Michael Walters, who has appeared as Santa at Bryant Park, on Broadway and on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon."

Starting in the fall, local Santas field requests by the dozen every day for events ranging from corporate parties to hotel appearances to home visits. Walters works between 65 and 70 gigs a season, which amounts to about 30 days of “go, go, go,” he said. 

“If you can imagine it, we’ve been asked it,” said Mitch Allen, founder of Hire Santa, a professional Santa booking company. “New York City in particular, there is very, very high demand.”

A Hire Santa poll of over 1,200 professional Santas across the country found they make, on average, $8,520 a season. But 14% of Santas said they make over $15,000. 

‘Real-bearded, real-bellied, and real jolly’

A competitive Santa has to keep a clean, realistic look. Based on the Hire Santa poll, Santas spend an average of $1,057 per season.

“In New York City, you can see a range of world-class Santa Clauses. … I try to stay as competitive as humanly possible,” said Walters, known as The City Santa. “That’s why the look is refined, and that’s why the beard and the hair look the way they do, which is a challenge.”

Fortunately, his partner is a Broadway wig designer, which offers Walters a competitive edge. 

Some Santas naturally look like Old Saint Nick, and others have stepped up to fit the part. Hire Santa’s poll found that 52.6% of Santas already had a beard, and 47.4% grew a beard just for the gig. 

When Joey Klein, known as Santa Joey, started, he “rocked” a cheap look akin to a “Party City Santa,” but he later upgraded to custom-made beards with yak or human hair. Since he stopped working with his local fire department, he has been able to grow out a real beard – which has slightly changed his day-to-day.

“You just kind of have to be Santa all the time,” Klein said. “You’re not walking into a store [saying] ‘ho ho ho,’ but you kind of always have to have that Santa etiquette.”

Becoming Kris Kringle

Most Santas find their way to the suit after being asked. 

Klein grew up doing clown and circus work and joined his local fire department in 2020, where he was first tapped to dress up as Santa. He fell in love with it and now spends his seasons at the Essex County Turtle Back Zoo.

“It’s just been a giant snowball ever since,” he said. 

When Walters was in college in a small town in Arkansas, a woman asked him if he would be Santa for an event in the town square. During the pandemic, he offered Zoom calls with Santa, then took off doing in-person events in New York City.

However people come to find the seasonal gig, being Santa often becomes a way of life. 

“Now, it’s almost a lifestyle. You’d be surprised – maybe not – how many Santas have red cars. You go to a Santa convention, and the parking lot’s just full of red vehicles,” Allen said. 

The Santas look out for each other, sharing tips and gigs and hanging out in their time off. They meet up frequently at local, regional, and national conventions. In New York City, Santas meet up every year to kick off the holiday season by reading “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” Walters said.

“It’s one of the most amazing brotherhoods in the world,” Klein said. “And to people that aren’t in the industry, it’s kind of unfathomable … Some of my closest friends are professional Santas.”

Christmas Magic

Despite occupational hazards like getting sick and having difficult conversations with children, nothing can compare to the magic of Christmas, Klein said. 

“I’m a big dude, I’m 6’2”, 300 pounds, it takes a lot to knock me over. I’ve had a 5-year-old completely take me out because they’re that excited to see Santa,” Klein said. “You would think you’re getting hit by a lineman.”

The work is incredibly rewarding, especially when done in a volunteer capacity, the Santas agreed.

“They absolutely love doing it,” Allen said. “Santas don’t want to say this, but they would do it for free.”