A Ride Down Memory Lane
I took my sixteenth ride in my hometown Christmas parade today, and I couldn’t help but reflect on all the people that have contributed to helping me live the life of my dreams right now as Santa Claus.
My family moved to High Point when I was three years old and I went to my first Christmas parade that year. When I became an adult and was a member of the local Rotary Club, I found out that the well-know High Point radio personality, Max Meeks. had been the Santa Claus riding the Christmas float in that first Christmas parade I attended. It was Max Meeks who told me about the Santa Claus Suit & Equipment Company where I convinced my Mother to order my first Santa Claus suit for me in 1993. I wore that same suit today, and I know she was looking down from Heaven at me with pride.
Santa Claus in the Christmas parade during most of my adult years was Jim Hunt, owner of Hunt Tire Company on Westchester Drive. Jim was a wonderful Santa and I always enjoyed watching him interact with the crowds at the parade. During most of the years that Jim rode in the parade, it was held at night with the downtown Christmas lights ablaze in all their glory. At that time the Christmas lights were strung across Main Street at each intersection.
In 2000, Santa Jim had knee or hip surgery and couldn’t climb into the float. Our local High Point Enterprise had written a story about my Santa career in 1996, so I got a call asking if I could take his place on the Santa float. That year, I made my debut in the High Point Christmas parade.
Sadly, Santa Jim passed away the following year and I was asked to take over the reins of his parade sleigh. I remember that year vividly because our country had just suffered the horrific 9/11 attack. I had my seamstress “elf” make me a patriotic suit fashioned after a cartoon by artist Thomas Nast during the Civil War for that parade. Patriotism was on everyone’s mind at that time and it was such a rush to see everyone salute as the stars and stripes I was wearing came by.
In 2005 while cleaning out our attic, I found a quilt wrapped up in plastic. It had been in the attic for 35 years since we first moved into our home. I took the quilt to my mother and asked if she recognized it. She informed me that it was a crazy quilt that my grandmother and great-grandmother had made. I took the quilt to my seamstress “elf” and asked if she could make a cloak for Santa to wear out of the quilt. I wore that cape in the Christmas parade today.

Find more stories like this in "Santa's Journey-Sharing Christmas Year Round" by Santa Cliff Snider, member of the International Santa Claus Hall of Fame. Contact Santa@cliffkringle.com for more information.