Santa’s workshop may be at the North Pole, but you only need to drive 40 minutes north to see hundreds of Santas sprint down the street as Ogden City kicks off the Christmas season.
Along with the Santa Run, a race where runners don Santa suits, Ogden hosts the Holiday Electric Light Parade and turns on the lights for its Christmas Village, featuring miniature holiday-themed cottages, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 29.
Visit Ogden Director of Marketing and Communications Taylor Hartman says the events bring the biggest crowds to the downtown area yearly. “Our local partners, our city officials, the general public and the amazing diverse families that make Ogden home can enjoy this,” he said. “If you drive a bit north, you’re going to be able to enjoy that with your family.”
Head to Visit Ogden’s website for specific times and locations.
The First Village
Jerry and Maxine Green brought their 5-year-old son, Tommy, to see the Christmas parade in 1961, but noticed Tommy’s disappointment when it ended so quickly. Jerry, chairman of the Ogden Retail Merchants’ Committee, dreamed up a new event that wouldn’t be as fleeting: a village of Christmas-themed cottages. While the original cost estimate was $25,000 (a lot for the time), the idea still caught on. It took a village to raise a village, as donations poured in and local businesses and community members pitched in to build it in time to accompany a half-hour parade the following year. The Christmas Village has become a tradition each year at the Ogden Municipal Garden.
Inside the Village
“When the Christmas Village comes to our community, the entire municipal garden is filled with small lanes and houses, each with a different theme, and it just feels like a miniature Hallmark movie that children can explore,” Hartman said. Past cottages, sponsored by local businesses and organizations, have depicted themes like a North Pole nature center, an elf police station and Ogden’s sister city, Hof, Germany. Every Christmas Village home also includes a hidden tree ornament. “It’s like a real-life game of I Spy,” Hartman said.
Shine a Light
Ogden hosts its Holiday Electric Light Parade, including various floats, vehicles and performers incorporating holiday lights, just before a ceremony to turn on the Christmas Village lights. Things get even brighter as fireworks fill the night sky.
Run, Santa, Run
Before the parade and the village lights go on, you can join hundreds of Santa Clauses for a 3.1-mile run on Washington Boulevard. Hartman says you may “BYOSS” (bring your own Santa Suit), but one is included with registration. Kids 8 and under run free with a registered adult.
On your run, stop and catch your breath at a milk and cookies station. While it’s all in good fun, Santas can be competitive. Hartman recalls one particularly fast Santa, holding his hat with his beard billowing behind him, hastily lapping around his red-suited counterparts.
Holiday Entertainment
It doesn’t end on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The Christmas Village is open until New Year’s Day, and performers take the nearby Ogden City Amphitheater stage throughout the season.
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