Santa Claus Came to Town

Santa Claus arrived in Caldwell in an antique Studebaker with police escort last Saturday and spent the day at for photo-ops with area children. Santa’s visit was sponsored by the.

Local children and their parents and grandparents lined up to visit with Santa, and many brought him notes and as well as their wish lists.

Visitors were welcomed by Santa’s helper, elf Amy Piazza, and sat for photos taken by Alex Rodrigues of W-8 Photography, 127A Roseland Ave., in Caldwell. Rodrigues set up a portable photography studio inside Flowerland.

As expected, some children were a little apprehensive about approaching the jolly old elf and Santa even got down on the floor to make them feel more comfortable.

But not all of Santa’s visitors were people, some brought their pets to have their photo taken with Mr. Claus.

The pictures were available for pick up the same day at . Copies, Christmas cards and framing are still available by special order.

This is the third year Caldwell Flowerland owners Frank and Karen Delli Santi hosted Santa at their shop, giving up much of their own Thanksgiving to transform their beautiful space into a holiday wonderland.  

“It’s nice to see traditions continue,” observed Frank Delli Santi.

Karen Delli Santi added, “Local restaurants were very busy. It was like old times when we were kids.”

The Caldwell Merchants Association thanks the many volunteers who donated their time, as well as Caldwell Mayor Ann Dassing, who donated all the graphics and posters, and Garrett Jones, whose patience and good humor really made the day.

As one volunteer said, “It's worth sitting here just to see the expression on the children's faces when they see Santa.”  

Local merchants noticed an increase in walking traffic on Bloomfield Avenue.

“There were lots of packages from local stores carried by shoppers on Saturday,” said CMA President June Cowell.

“People from out of town were discovering local shops and restaurants,” added Cowell. “Our slogan is 'Shop Local, Eat Local, Be Local.' It helps our communities thrive.” 

Many shops in downtown Caldwell will be open on Thursday evenings before Christmas for the convenience of shoppers.

Santa returns to the Caldwells on Saturday, Dec. 3, to take part in and more photo-ops.