Guests ride the Jinglebell Express at Santa’s Village in Jefferson. Courtesy photo.
Editor’s Note: The print version of this story that appeared in the December 2021 issue of Business NH Magazine incorrectly identified where Santa’s Village is located. This corrected version of the story has the actual location in Jefferson.
Their story has all the makings of a classic holiday movie. A magical village falls on hard times and is forced to close. But the staff works relentlessly to build things back, only to reopen a year later. Cue the music as Santa and Mrs. Claus hug, and elves dance with glee.
Except this is not a movie. It’s the story of Santa’s Village in Jefferson. The beloved amusement park nestled in the White Mountains struggled during the pandemic, closing for last year’s holiday season. Now, following a successful summer, the yuletide-themed park is once again opening for Christmas amid the glow of more than 1 million sparkly lights.
Sparkly lights decorate the Village. Courtesy photo.
COVID restrictions forced the park to limit capacity in summer 2020 and to limit the number of days they were open, dramatically cutting revenue, says Jim Miller, management team member at Santa’s Village.
The company received federal and state relief funds, which allowed them to keep full-time staff employed. But fewer ticket sales meant laying off some part-timers and closing for the winter for the first time in years, Miller says.
“Through February, we didn’t know how things were going to go,” he says. But then vaccines became available, and a sense of optimism began to settle in.
Updated CDC and NH Public Health guidelines meant park visitors without COVID symptoms could visit mask-free, though Santa’s Village kept social distancing measures and plastic barriers in place. When they reopened for the summer, they initially maintained attendance at about 35% capacity. Then, as vaccination rates went up, they increased capacity to 50% to 60% during good weather, Miller says.
“We sold out many of the days we were open,” Miller says. “This year is a good rebound year for us. We’re not at levels we were at in 2018 and 2019, but we are much further ahead than we were in 2020.” He adds he is optimistic about this season, which started Nov. 13 and runs through Dec. 19 and includes a New Year’s Eve celebration. Santa’s Village is still limiting capacity, and with the park only open on weekends, the season is a mere 14 days.
Children can still visit Santa, though they won’t be able to sit on his lap. Other highlights include the reindeer and rides.
For more information, visit sanatasvillage.com.
Current Issue - May 2024