You may have heard the news that SantaCon is starting in Brooklyn’s McCarren Park this year before heading to the East Village. It appears the Lower East Side (below East Houston Street) will not be spared. Here’s an excerpt from the New York Times piece, published a short time ago:
For the first time, the Santas are sharing their route in advance. They will meet at 10 a.m. at McCarren Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Beginning at 11, they will host parties at the nearby clubs Verboten and the Hall. Midday, they will go to the Delancey and the DL on the Lower East Side. In the late afternoon, they will travel to the East Village, where there will be events at Solas, Bar 13 and at 230 Fifth, near Madison Square Park. For a $10 donation, participants can get into all the SantaCon-sponsored parties, where they pay for their drinks.
This week, local elected officials criticized event organizers for failing to disclose their bar-hopping route. State Sen. Brad Hoylman, told WCBS Radio, “They play this cat-and-mouse game, not just with their participants, but also with elected officials and community boards… And that doesn’t show any respect to our neighborhoods.”
SantaCon will apparently begin publicizing their full route in the next few hours.
UPDATE 12/10: Here’s a statement we received this morning:
After careful deliberation, The DL has decided to cancel the SantaCon event this Saturday. We don’t believe that holding the event would be in the best interest of our brand or the surrounding community.
East Villagers love SantaCon!
Of course the illegally operating and neighborhood nuisances, the DL and Delancey (LES ) and the out-of-control bar Solas (EV) is hosting SantaCon. They are use to over serving and catering to the same crowd.
Nightmare for residents on Dec 12th!
Isn’t this smart of the Santacon producer? – pick a location that the community couldn’t hate anymore than it already does. nothing to lose. idiots following idiots to the idiot club.