- December 6, 2013
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The Sarasota High School Drama Department dance troupe performs for the crowd.
Mrs. Claus waves to the crowd as she arrives at St. Armands Circle.
Santa Claus waves to the crowd as he arrives at St. Armands Circle.
Santa Claus celebrates flipping the switch to turn on the Christmas tree lights.
Nichole and Brooke Messenger laugh with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Andre Gadah, Zoya Sleit and Natalia Gadah
Caitlin and Tom Cail. Caitlin asked Santa for a stuffed bird and unicorn.
Richard and Diana Corrigan, executive director of St. Armands Circle Association
The Sarasota High School Drama Department dance troupe performs for the crowd.
The Sarasota High School Drama Department dance troupe performs for the crowd.
Chase Marud smiles with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Mrs. Claus and Santa get ready to meet the kids.
Daniel Yzeiri poses next to the Christmas tree.
Daniel and Walter Zach pose with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Lana Tran and Colleen Putnam pose with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Lana Tran and Colleen Putnam share their Christmas lists with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Santa Claus and his chauffeur pose in the sleigh after lighting the tree.
The St. Armands Circle Christmas tree is 55 feet tall and is adorned with 650 ornaments.
Despite the busy time of year, Santa Claus was able to leave the North Pole for a night to stop by Holiday Night on St. Armands Circle.
To pass the time before Santa’s arrival, the Sarasota High School Drama Department dance troupe and chamber choir performed for the crowd. Then, St. Armands Circle Association Executive Director Diana Corrigan led the crowd in a Christmas carol sing-along to welcome Santa to the circle.
The sing-along wasn’t always a tradition. A few years ago, Santa got stuck in traffic and his arrival was delayed, so in an attempt to keep the crowd entertained, Corrigan started the sing-along, which she now says is a crowd favorite.
“It makes me laugh because it started as an accident,” Corrigan said.
When Santa arrived, he had the honor of flipping the switch on the 55-foot Christmas tree to light it up. The tree, the tallest on the Gulf Coast of Florida, is adorned with 650 ornaments.
Finally, it was time for kids to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus. The line wrapped partly around the Circle as kids took their turn sharing their wish lists with Santa. From stuffed animals to American Girl dolls, Santa took note of everyone’s lists.
