Santacon 2009

Santacon 2009 in San Francisco

The festival of Santacon is rather hard to explain. To participate, you wear a santa suit, join the mob of Santas, and follow the mob to bars and ways of the city. Santas call each other "Santa!" Organization is minimal and goals are few. Drink, carol, spread good cheer. This idea of a flash mob of Santas started years ago in San Francisco; now many cities have their own annual Santacons. AJ, Fiona, and Matt joined me last year for Santacon, and so they joined the santa posse again this year. Friends Leslie and Joed were visiting from Boston. They got tossed into the mix as well. On this wet Saturday, we stuck close to the Haight and the Upper Market area. A day later, Leslie, Joed, and I wandered from the apartment all the way through the Mission to Tom and John's place for dinner. When I went to work, those two drove down the coast in search of redwoods and rainbows. Note: all of these pictures were taken (masterfully) by Joed.

Even Santa needs to update his Facebook

Happy band of Santas: Matt, Fiona, AJ, me

We strapped some Christmas lights under our beards and then went to the bars to get doubly lit.

Our first stop, a generic British pub named Mad Dog in the Fog.

Folks liked the lights

The bar had a back porch. It was a damp day but inside heated up.

I ordered 6 Guinesses

Whooville hat

Matt, put your beard back on

Leslie (and Joed) visited from Boston

We spotted Santas everywhere

We moved on to Triple Crown for a Santa dance party.

The place was a solid block of red and white

On the left is a guy dressed in an artificial Christmas tree. Nuts.

Lots of creativity displayed in San Francisco

I like the lost guy staring at the camera

Pimp-daddy Santa. He even had white platform shoes.

Happy Leslie

I'm telling something quite serious to Leslie and Rich

I'm still lit

A Santa sea. I got a bit Santa seasick.

Pretty soon, the bar wanted all these drunk santas out and back on the street.

Mostly just good clean Santa fun

My favorite bar in the city, Noc Noc, hides on Haight Street between Fillmore and Steiner.

As Santa as I get

Noc Noc has an unusual panelled roof

Bomb with gas mask - pretty much sums up the architecture of Noc Noc

Quite a view! It's what I see from my balcony.

The porch makes the tiny apartment seem larger.

We broke our stride in the Castro when we spotted this tree.

The tree is made from bread. The ornaments are cookies from lots of cultures.

The store sells bread, pastries, and cooking lessons.

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We wandered down Clarion Alley in the Mission.

This little block features murals on both sides

One of our favorite murals.

The best bathroom in San Francisco: the koi bathtub in Fabric 8.

John and Tom were kind enough to have us over for dinner.

A Boston reunion! Tom, Jeff Mission, Leslie, John, me, and Marilyn lying down on the job.

Great fun to catch up with all these peeps

I think I was the first to move out here. We're pulling more and more our way.

I love this picture because we all look so horrible.

My palm tree has sprouted a warthog

The nighttime view from the Dudek apartment

I didn't travel down the coast with Leslie and Joed, but I wanted to show off the photographer of all the above pictures.

Probably the best picture of the whole trip

Leslie and Joed. I guess they like red.

Happy days in California

Even Santa needs to update his Facebook	Happy band of Santas: Matt, Fiona, AJ, me	We strapped some Christmas lights under our beards and then went to the bars to get doubly lit.	Our first stop, a generic British pub named Mad Dog in the Fog.	Folks liked the lights
The bar had a back porch. It was a damp day but inside heated up.	I ordered 6 Guinesses	Whooville hat	Matt, put your beard back on	Leslie (and Joed) visited from Boston
	We spotted Santas everywhere	We moved on to Triple Crown for a Santa dance party.	The place was a solid block of red and white	On the left is a guy dressed in an artificial Christmas tree. Nuts.
Lots of creativity displayed in San Francisco	I like the lost guy staring at the camera	Pimp-daddy Santa. He even had white platform shoes.	Happy Leslie	I'm telling something quite serious to Leslie and Rich
I'm still lit	A Santa sea. I got a bit Santa seasick.	Pretty soon, the bar wanted all these drunk santas out and back on the street.	Mostly just good clean Santa fun	My favorite bar in the city, Noc Noc, hides on Haight Street between Fillmore and Steiner.
As Santa as I get	Noc Noc has an unusual panelled roof	Bomb with gas mask - pretty much sums up the architecture of Noc Noc	Quite a view! It's what I see from my balcony.	The porch makes the tiny apartment seem larger.
We broke our stride in the Castro when we spotted this tree.	The tree is made from bread. The ornaments are cookies from lots of cultures.	The store sells bread, pastries, and cooking lessons.	]
We wandered down Clarion Alley in the Mission.	This little block features murals on both sides	One of our favorite murals.	The best bathroom in San Francisco: the koi bathtub in Fabric 8.	John and Tom were kind enough to have us over for dinner.
A Boston reunion! Tom, Jeff Mission, Leslie, John, me, and Marilyn lying down on the job.	Great fun to catch up with all these peeps	I think I was the first to move out here. We're pulling more and more our way.	I love this picture because we all look so horrible.	My palm tree has sprouted a warthog
The nighttime view from the Dudek apartment	I didn't travel down the coast with Leslie and Joed, but I wanted to show off the photographer of all the above pictures.	Probably the best picture of the whole trip	Leslie and Joed. I guess they like red.	Happy days in California