I was chatting with Santa Claus the
other day while we watched a little girl, about four years old, gleefully
chasing hither and thither after the soap bubbles emanating from Oswald the
Bubble Elf's pipe at Children's Fairyland.
"You'd never see that at
Disneyland," I said. "Her parents would be scared to let her run free
like that."
"Yeah," he laughed,
"and even if they did, they'd probably be charged $15 per bubble."
Of course, he isn't the real Santa.
(The real one is rather busy at the North Pole right now.) His name is Ron
Zeno, and for the past 10 years he has stood in for The Big Guy at Fairyland's
annual Fairy Winterland, which will take place from noon to 7 p.m. on December
5-7, 12-14, and 19-23 if weather permits. And you couldn't ask for a better
stand-in.
"He's the best Santa we could
possibly wish for," says C.J. Hirschfield, Fairyland's executive director.
"He's so sweet and gentle with the kids. That rich, chocolaty voice of his
instantly puts them at ease."
The secrets of his success: Never
say "Ho-ho-ho" ("It scares the bejezus out of little kids,"
he explains), never promise anything specific, and never make direct eye
contact, which can also frighten them.
"I start off by making myself
small," he says, no easy task at 6'1 and 260 lbs. "I take my time,
stay out of their face, and let them come to me. It doesn't always work; but
when it does, it feels great."
Santa will welcome his little
visitors every afternoon from 5 to 6 p.m., and every child will get a special
treat.
Then, at 6:15, Santa will lead the
little ones through the park in the nightly Festival of Lights Parade. It's a
rare chance for them to see what Fairyland looks like after dark. Every structure
and tree will by festooned with sparking lights, with a snow machine completing
the wintery impression. The effect is magical, even for grownups.
On the Emerald City Stage, the
Fairyland Children's Theater will present its annual holiday program, spotlighting
winter celebrations from around the world including Christmas, Chanukah, Ramadan,
Dwali, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, Chinese New Year and the Winter Solstice.
Meanwhile, actors in animal
costumes from Critters Across the Bay will be roaming around the park acting
silly, and some of the real-life animals who live at Fairyland will be featured
each day as Animal of the Day.
Last but not least, the Puppet
Theater will present not one but two productions: "The Midas Touch,"
written and designed by Fairyland's late, great Master Puppeteer, Lewis Mahlmann, and a puppet production of
"The Nutcracker," written and designed by Mahlmann's handpicked
successor, Randal Metz, featuring dancing candies, prancing clowns, mechanical
toys, Chinese dragons, and a climactic battle between the Mouse King's armies
and the toy soldiers.
If your kids are still too young to
take to the Oakland Ballet's version of "The Nutcracker," this is a
great, no-pressure way to get them started. Nobody will mind if they get up and
start wandering around in the middle of the show.
Plus: jugglers, magicians,
storytellers – including the Blue Fairy, Jacqueline Lynaugh, as the Snow Queen -
and free hot cocoa and cider.
Sounds like fun, huh? Wish it had
been around when I was their age.
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