I love this time of year for many reasons, one of which is my annual phone chat with Woodlawn Santa (aka Sharon Ehrig), who usually leads the conversation with a rousing “Ho ho ho!” This year, she had something else to add: “Christmas is going up!”
This is great news. Even better, Santa has a clean bill of heath this year.
You may recall that last year Santa battled breast cancer and was unable to put up her usual Christmas lights and wave at us from her front porch. But Santa is back, albeit a bit slower than in years past. She hopes to have all the lights on her house (about 15,000!) by Thanksgiving, and to be sitting on the porch waving in time to the music, starting around December 9th or 10th.
- What: Woodlawn Santa
- When: Roughly 5:30-8:30 pm. Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays (and the occasional Wednesday or Thursday depending on how Santa feels). Starting around 12/9 through 12/23.
- Where: 3916 Woodlawn Avenue, Seattle
- Cost: Bring a smile with ya!
2011 will mark Sharon’s 16th year as Santa. Woodlawn Santa enjoyed 15 years of consecutive porch duty until she had to skip last year.
This year’s decorations will be reconfigured due to some landscape changes in the yard, so be sure to take a good long look. As I wrote in 2009, “With 15,000 lights, reindeer (with personalized saddles), snowmen, candy canes, a rubber ducky gate, teddy bears and elves — you just gotta see this house.” It’s still true; you just gotta see this house. Bring the kids, young and old, to say hi to Santa this year.
And we are really really glad you’re better, Santa! Thanks for all your hard work spreading Christmas cheer in Wallingford! Ho ho ho!
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I’m new to the area (moved from teh East Coast 5 months ago), so this post made me smile. Love Wallingford, love the people, love the spirit! Can’t wait to check out the Woodlawn Santa, and glad to hear that Sharon is better!
So glad to hear she’s doing better this year!!
Why does it have to be so exclusionary and promote Christmas (white christians) and the prevailing consumerism?
Well, yes – the Christianity connection isn’t so obvious in the present context, but if you go back … “Santa” obviously derived from some Nordic pronunciation of “Satan”, dressed in red, sneaking around on dark nights with his reindeer animal consorts and entering houses uninvited through the chimney (like entrance to Hell?) Bearing gifts to help enslave the little ones to the bonds of material possessions. Clear connection to Christianity, but not so clear exactly what’s being promoted.
@neighbor – your facetious tag is missing again…
Wow. I guess it is not possible to put anything on Wallyhood without somebody posting a comment that is full of negativity. What ever happened to if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all?
So happy Woodlawn Santa is back!! Be sure to also visit 341 NE 57th!! Down hill off Latona toward the highway. Tune your car radio to 102.1 and watch a great light show!!
@neighbor – Really? We have a little old lady doing something sweet and kind and beautiful for the neighborhood and the children and your response is to be negative and make this political? This is not about being Politically Correct, this about someone just expressing their joy in the season and sharing that joy with the community. Get over yourself. It’s not about religion, it’s about the spirit of love and childish happiness. If you don’t like that, don’t go look at it. And certainly don’t go around ruining other people’s enjoyment with your negativity.
You just keep being you Woodlawn Santa, we love you just the way you are.
@FreGirl: he’s trolling.
It’s a she!
Just got off the phone with Woodlawn Santa, who has difficulty using the Comments section herself. She shares the following:
“Ho ho ho! Sharon and Santa certainly appreciate the Comments from newfound elves Karen S. & Charles (Comments 5 and 6) – and thank you very much to everyone for your comments. Ho ho ho! A very Merry Christmas!”
P.S. Keep an eye out for Woodlawn Santa on Steve Pool’s Parade of Lights in the coming days: http://www.komonews.com/weather/lights/King