If you were in Old Town on Thursday, you may have caught a glimpse of Santa and Mrs. Claus trying on hats at BeauChapeau or spraying some scents at Neob Lavender.
Thursday was a Christmas in July celebration, with a visit from the World Santa Claus Congress to Niagara-on-the-Lake.
A crew of 17 Santas, Mrs. Clauses and elves wandered the streets of Old Town during an on-the-town excursion from their usual conference activities.
This year marked the second time the Christmas congress has come to NOTL.
Originating in Denmark in 1957, lead organizer Cheryl Boxall-Etherington visited the original congress in 2016 alongside her entire family.
After the event shut down post-COVID, Boxall-Etherington decided it was the perfect time to bring a bit of Denmark to Canada.
“It was always my father’s dream to hold a Santa Claus Conference here in Niagara Falls,” she told The Lake Report.
Last year, her father was able to participate in all of the events but, unfortunately, died only a month later.
“We’re here carrying on the tradition,” she said.
The congress in Canada will continue annually from July 22 to the 25th, Buxton-Etherington said.
“It’s five months til Christmas, so just a little over halfway,” she said.
Among the 17 Santas, elves and Mrs. Clauses running around Old Town, three came all the way from Denmark with a handful from around the United States.
The group enjoyed lunch in NOTL followed by some festive ice cream at Avondale Dairy Bar.
