Santa's Village (Jefferson, New Hampshire)
Encyclopedia
Santa's Village is a Christmas
-themed amusement park
located in Jefferson, New Hampshire
, United States.
Most of the 16 rides have Christmas or winter-themed names, such as "Rudy's Rapid Transit Coaster" and "The Great Humbug Adventure". The rides are designed for families with children under age 13. There are also three theatres, two of which present live shows and a third that features a 3-D
movie called "A Tinkerdoodle Christmas". Visitors can visit Santa's home, lie in his bed, sit in his chair, and have a picture taken with Santa.
in New Hampshire would serve well as Santa and his reindeers' home. On Father's Day, in 1953, the family amusement park was opened for the first time to the general public. In its first year, the park had pony rides and showcased Francis the Famous Mule
in a mule performance. The amusement park staff frequently gave her oats from a whiskey bottle to wheedle her to move. The Duboises also invited to the park Santa Claus
who was accompanied by real reindeer
and numerous elves. The park was later englarged to include a "Santa Schoolhouse", a "Blacksmith Shop", "Santa's Workshop" and a chapel. In 1955, the park was open from June to October.
By 1969, the park also had playgrounds, restaurants, and a "Jingle Jamboree". The Dubois family added a dancing chicken and rabbit performance to the park's activities. By 1974, the Dubois' son-in-law, Michael Gaynor, took over the park's management after the couple retired. The admission for people over four years old in 1974 was $3. Peggy Newland of the The Nashua Telegraph wrote in 2010 that "[b]y the 1980s, the park had grown to a 'real' amusement park". The park was further expanded, with a "Yule Log Flume" that glided down a Christmas-themed river, carrying people around the park. Macaw
s performed in the park, roller-skating around the stage and balancing bikes on a tightrope.
In 1986, Jack Barth of Spy
wrote that Santa's Village has a "strange arrangement", in that to take pictures, people poke their heads out of a cake made of plaster. The grandchildren of Normand and Cecile Dubois manage the park. They added a "Polar Theater" with 3D shows that include elves that dance and a tree that sings, as well as "Skyways Sleighs", which transport people through the sky to different parts of the park.
The park's duck pond is a "shrine" to Jesus
. The park also has a wishing well
, where children can make a wish and toss coins in. The money from the wishing well is given to marginalized children through the form of Christmas gifts. In the first year of the Village, more than $1000 from the well was used to buy gifts for marginalized children.
Admission for the 2011 season is US$
26 per person, $23 for seniors over 62 but children 4 and under are free.
Mick Foley
wrote in his autobiography The Hardcore Diaries that he has a Christmas fixation and that "every good thing in my life somehow leads me back to Jefferson, New Hampshire, and the trip to Santa's Village my parents took me on when I was only three years old". In his list of top ten amusement parks, Foley placed Santa's Village first, writing that "[w]hat it lacks in rides, it makes up for in personal nostalgia, a beautiful location, and the magic of Christmas in the summer".
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
-themed amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
located in Jefferson, New Hampshire
Jefferson, New Hampshire
Jefferson is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,107 at the 2010 census. It is home to parts of the White Mountain National Forest in the south and northeast and to two theme parks: Santa's Village and...
, United States.
Most of the 16 rides have Christmas or winter-themed names, such as "Rudy's Rapid Transit Coaster" and "The Great Humbug Adventure". The rides are designed for families with children under age 13. There are also three theatres, two of which present live shows and a third that features a 3-D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
movie called "A Tinkerdoodle Christmas". Visitors can visit Santa's home, lie in his bed, sit in his chair, and have a picture taken with Santa.
History and attractions
Santa's Village was the brainchild of Normand and Cecile Dubois who, in the early 1950s, wanted to create something novel to their region. Seeing deer crossing the road sparked Norman's belief that the North CountryGreat North Woods Region (New Hampshire)
The Great North Woods Region is located at the northern tip of New Hampshire, U.S.A., north of the White Mountains Region. The Great North Woods is a tourism region of New Hampshire and is located in Coos County...
in New Hampshire would serve well as Santa and his reindeers' home. On Father's Day, in 1953, the family amusement park was opened for the first time to the general public. In its first year, the park had pony rides and showcased Francis the Famous Mule
Francis the Talking Mule
Francis the Talking Mule was a mule celebrity, featured in seven movie comedies in the 1950s. The character originated in a novel by writer David Stern, and Universal Studios bought the rights for a film series, with Stern adapting his own script for the first entry, simply titled...
in a mule performance. The amusement park staff frequently gave her oats from a whiskey bottle to wheedle her to move. The Duboises also invited to the park Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
who was accompanied by real reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
and numerous elves. The park was later englarged to include a "Santa Schoolhouse", a "Blacksmith Shop", "Santa's Workshop" and a chapel. In 1955, the park was open from June to October.
By 1969, the park also had playgrounds, restaurants, and a "Jingle Jamboree". The Dubois family added a dancing chicken and rabbit performance to the park's activities. By 1974, the Dubois' son-in-law, Michael Gaynor, took over the park's management after the couple retired. The admission for people over four years old in 1974 was $3. Peggy Newland of the The Nashua Telegraph wrote in 2010 that "[b]y the 1980s, the park had grown to a 'real' amusement park". The park was further expanded, with a "Yule Log Flume" that glided down a Christmas-themed river, carrying people around the park. Macaw
Macaw
Macaws are small to large, often colourful New World parrots. Of the many different Psittacidae genera, six are classified as macaws: Ara, Anodorhynchus, Cyanopsitta, Primolius, Orthopsittaca, and Diopsittaca...
s performed in the park, roller-skating around the stage and balancing bikes on a tightrope.
In 1986, Jack Barth of Spy
Spy (magazine)
Spy was a satirical monthly magazine founded in 1986 by Kurt Andersen and E. Graydon Carter, who served as its first editors, and Thomas L. Phillips, Jr., its first publisher. After one folding and a rebirth, it ceased publication in 1998...
wrote that Santa's Village has a "strange arrangement", in that to take pictures, people poke their heads out of a cake made of plaster. The grandchildren of Normand and Cecile Dubois manage the park. They added a "Polar Theater" with 3D shows that include elves that dance and a tree that sings, as well as "Skyways Sleighs", which transport people through the sky to different parts of the park.
The park's duck pond is a "shrine" to Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. The park also has a wishing well
Wishing well
A wishing well is a term from European folklore to describe wells where it was thought that any spoken wish would be granted. The idea that a wish would be granted came from the idea that water housed deities or had been placed there as a gift from the gods, since water was a source of life and...
, where children can make a wish and toss coins in. The money from the wishing well is given to marginalized children through the form of Christmas gifts. In the first year of the Village, more than $1000 from the well was used to buy gifts for marginalized children.
Admission for the 2011 season is US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
26 per person, $23 for seniors over 62 but children 4 and under are free.
Mick Foley
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
wrote in his autobiography The Hardcore Diaries that he has a Christmas fixation and that "every good thing in my life somehow leads me back to Jefferson, New Hampshire, and the trip to Santa's Village my parents took me on when I was only three years old". In his list of top ten amusement parks, Foley placed Santa's Village first, writing that "[w]hat it lacks in rides, it makes up for in personal nostalgia, a beautiful location, and the magic of Christmas in the summer".