Claus encounters

By Gretchen Ammerman

Oregon Coast TODAY

I was walking on the beach, minding my own business, when suddenly I ran into Santa and Mrs. Claus. They also appeared to be trying to mind their own business, perhaps getting in a few moments of calm before the storm of personal appearances and warp-speed present dropping was in full swing.

Deciding that as public figures, they actually didn’t have the right to privacy, I proceeded to interview them and find out what they were doing here on the central Oregon Coast, so very far from home.

It turns out that, believe it or not, one of the Clauses’ best friends lives here, a guy who decorates his Lincoln City property with so many lights every year that they can almost be seen from the North Pole.

And the Clauses, well, they help; so that people can have the experience of driving or walking through the lights displays for the 20th year (almost) in a row.

“This year we have about 62,000 lights,” Santa said. “We actually put in every bulb and every light —that’s how I know.”

What’s more, the team has gone through, so far, roughly 10,000 staples and 3,000 zip-ties.

“If we’re going to get arthritis,” Santa said. “it’s going to be in our staplin’ hands.”

For an especially special experience on two nights a year, kids can saddle up to Santa’s lap, get a candy cane from the missus and, while supplies last, get a stuffed teddy bear on the way out.

“We’ve given away tens of thousands of bears over the years, thanks to a shop you have here called Go Calendars,” Santa said. “You should see the eyes of the kids when they get the bears; it’s magical.”

You’ll catch the Clauses on Thursday and Friday, Dec. 23 and 24, from 5 to 9 pm.

“Please bring your own camera,” Santa said, showing his age. As the couple have lived through almost every way of capturing images since chiseling in stone, we spent the next few minutes chatting about the wonders of the smartphone. And then they went on their merry way.

You can visit the lights displays from 5 to 10 pm until the end of the year. The lights and Santa’s worship are located at 2642 NE Holmes Road in Lincoln City.