A drop-in open house brings friends and neighbors through the front door all afternoon, and hosts who book Santa for a holiday party in Columbus give every family with children something to plan their visit around.
Put Santa in the Middle of the Open House
A drop-in afternoon means people come and go. Santa belongs in the middle of that stretch, after the first guests have settled in. Early guests still catch him. Families who arrive later still catch him. The food can run the whole time. His part of the party has a start and a finish that you print on the invitation.
Write the invitation so it says when Santa is there. Families with children plan to come during that time. Friends without kids know they can drop in before or after if they would rather talk in the kitchen. That one line on the card does more than any extra decoration.
Hosts in Bexley, New Albany, Pickerington, Powell and Lewis Center use this setup when the house is open to coworkers, neighbors and the cousins who always stay too long. One house. Indoors. Guests using the front door you already use.
Where He Sits, Where the Food Goes
Santa sits near the tree in the front room, where guests see him as they come in. The food and drinks belong in another room, so the line for Santa leaves the buffet open. People can take a plate, then walk over. Children can go straight to the tree without weaving through a punch bowl.
An armchair beside the tree is enough. Leave space in front of it for a parent and a child. A lamp on the side table helps the pictures. The dining table through the doorway can hold platters and stacked plates without competing with Santa for the first look when someone steps inside.
One Host at the Door
One host stays near the front door to welcome people and point families with kids toward Santa. Coats can go on a rack or a bed. A smile and a nod toward the tree is enough. That person also keeps an eye on how long the line is getting, so Santa greets children in a steady line while the ham stays on the table.
Santa greets the grown-ups as well as the children. Neighbors, grandparents and friends without kids often want a picture too. He can shake a hand, pose, and then turn back to the next child. Treat the grown-ups as part of the visit, not as people in the way.
Gifts and Pictures
For a mixed crowd most hosts skip gifts. Santa greets each child and poses for photos. A family that wants a present handed over gives it to the host, labeled by name, ahead of time, and the host passes it to Santa before that family walks in. Santa greets; the host holds the labeled bags until that family arrives.
A friend takes pictures by the tree and shares them with the guests afterward. One person on the camera is plenty. The rest of the hosts can keep the door, the food and the kids moving. If you want a group picture of everyone who is in the house at a certain time, pick a moment in the middle of Santa’s stretch and say it out loud so people can step in.
What to Have Ready When You Call
Have the date, the town, the open house times and Santa’s part of it, and roughly how many children may come. That is enough to start. A Santa Claus impersonator booking is the one that matches a house full of guests who are not all related. Get in touch with those facts and we will confirm the time with you.
A real bearded Santa is the choice when you expect close pictures by the tree. The traditional Santa wears the traditional suit with a full styled beard and costs less, which suits a longer line of neighbors who will see him from a few steps away. Mrs. Claus or elves can join as add-ons if the guest list is large. Santa leads the room either way.
A family with young kids could spend the morning on a cookie-decorating afternoon with Santa and bring a plate of their best cookies for him to find by your tree. That gives the children something to carry in and something to talk about when he asks what they made.
This is a host’s open house at home. Friends, neighbors and coworkers walk through one living room. Santa is there for the part of the afternoon printed on the invitation.