by Susan Fried
I’ve taken photos of kids with Santa Claus for many years, including a brief stint as a Santa photographer at the downtown Seattle Nordstrom in the mid ’90s. Christmas hasn’t officially arrived for me until I see a child staring up into the eyes of Santa, trying to remember what they want him to bring them for Christmas.
This year, Santa made an appearance at Rainier Avenue Radio’s First Annual Holiday Bazaar in the Columbia City Theater. Unlike last year, a fully vaccinated Santa was able to spend a little time with each child, receiving their Christmas wish lists and allowing their family to get a quick photo.
When I first started taking photos of children visiting Santa, it was pretty rare to see a Black Santa in our city. Thankfully, we now have Santas nearly as diverse as the South End community.
There’s still time to get a photo with Santa in Seattle. Here’s a partial list of where you can find Santa:
The Santa House
Saturday, Dec. 18, 1–4 p.m., & Sunday, Dec. 19, 5–7 p.m.
@ The Renton Civic Theatre
VIrtual Black Santa
Saturday, Dec. 18, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., & Sunday, Dec. 19, 2–6 p.m., hosted by NAAM
Sign up on Eventbrite.
Photos with Santa
Wednesday, Dec. 22, 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
@ The Blu Grouse
Black Santa
Sunday, Dec. 19, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
@ Langston Hughes
RSVP on Eventbrite.
Black Santa in Burien
Monday, Dec. 20, hosted by Acts on Stage Theater Company
Register online.
All photos by Susan Fried.
2021
2020
Susan Fried is a 40-year veteran photographer. Her early career included weddings, portraits, and commercial work — plus, she’s been The Skanner News’ Seattle photographer for 25 years. Her images have appeared in the University of Washington’s The Daily, The Seattle Globalist, Crosscut, and many more. She’s been an Emerald contributor since 2015. Follow her on Instagram @fried.susan.
📸 Featured image by Susan Fried.
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