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'Running of the Santas' starts next week

An all-day party before the holidays

By Eric Craig
Running of the Santas starts December 17
Mermaid Photograph via Flickr. Creative Commons 2.0

The Christmas spirit is filling the air, and running on the ground, too.

On December 17, the 6th annual Running of the Santas will take place in downtown New Orleans. The event start Saturday, December 17 at 11 a.m., at the “South Pole,” located at 519 Fulton Street.

Santa and her elves #RunningOfTheSantasNola

A photo posted by @dellingd on

The Running of the Santas takes place in over 20 cities around the world, and is one of the largest Christmastime events on the Gulf Coast, according to the official press release.

The iconic “Fun Run,” which is planned to have more than 3000 participants, will begin at 6:00 p.m. The six-block race will begin at Manning’s and end at Generations Hall located at 310 Andrew Higgins Drive.

Map of this year’s Fun Run.
Image via Running of the Santa’s press release

During the holiday event, thousands of people dress up in there snazziest, most original Christmas costumes. Judges will be on site, and the best dress will be the sixth winner in New Orleans to take home the Best Holiday Costume award.

After the fun run event, there will be a live musical concert at Generations hall from 6:30 p.m to 10 p.m., featuring a local New Orleans funk band and Category 6.

Tickets to participate in the Christmas event are available at the official Running of the Santas website.