Santa Claus, seen here waving at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York in 2019, will be greeting children from 6 to 8 p.m. Thanksgiving evening at Central Fire Station in Saco. It will be a socially distanced event. AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, File
SACO — Santa, along with other special guests from the North Pole, are scheduled to fly in their open-air sleigh to the Saco Fire Department’s Central Station at 271 North St. on Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 26. Santa and the gang have pledged to be on hand to greet children, from a safe distance, from 6 to 8 p.m.
The tradition has spanned generations, and organizers said they are determined to make sure it continues, with proper social distancing and mask precautions.
At 6 p.m., visitors can watch from their vehicles as Central Fire Station is illuminated. Then, they will be guided along a route to see and chat with Santa from their vehicle.
This tradition has been a part of the community for decades, and members of the Fire Department worked hard to ensure it can continue to have an evening of joy, even amid a pandemic, said Saco Communications Director Emily Roy.
Capt. Marc Meserve, a Saco firefighter for 37 years, said he had been planning contingencies for the event since the summer.
“It’s a whole different ball game, as we all know,” Meserve said. “But this has been going on for generations, and it’s important to continue the tradition. Plan A was ‘do it as normal,’ Plan C was ‘cancel it,’ and Plan B is what you will see on Thanksgiving.”
Here is how the event will be managed:
All traffic will enter through the southernmost entrance, and police will be on-site to direct vehicles to the rear parking lot, where up to three lanes of cars will be set up, that will serve as the line. Then, one car at a time will be sent down the alley along the northern end of the station, back toward North Street. After passing by decorations and lights, motorists will have a few moments to park, roll down the windows, and talk with Santa from a distance of more than six feet. Before leaving, there will be one more stop for a safety check before exiting with a right turn onto North Street.
The city is asking that all visitors stay in their car at all times while at the Saco Fire Department.
If anyone has experienced symptoms of COVID-19 or has a fever, they are asked to stay home, organizers said.
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