As the holiday season approaches, so do SantaCon-style events, the original being an infamous annual holiday bar crawl event in New York City, where participants dress up as Santa Claus and participate in pub crawls. SantaCon emerged in Hoboken in 2011 and two local holiday bar crawls are happening again this weekend on December 16th, 2023. Read on for what we know about both Hoboken SantaCon 2023 and the HoHo Hoboken Bar Event.
Photo credit: @dimagg.io
Background on Santa-Themed Pub Events in Hoboken
SantaCon, the annual holiday pub crawl tradition tracing back to the 1990s in New York City, began in Hoboken in 2011. It started as a small gathering of friends dressing up as Santa to support a local cause and has grown into a larger event where thousands of participants take to the streets in Santa costumes. Over the years, the event has gained both popularity and criticism due to concerns about public intoxication and disruptive behaviors, including Hoboken’s own Santacon events.
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The event in New York takes place around the same time every year in December, often on a Saturday before Christmas. This year’s New York City Santacon took place on December 9th, 2023.
Despite its challenges, SantaCon returned to Hoboken in 2021 and 2022, and according to the official Hoboken Santacon website, SantaCon is coming to Hoboken again on Saturday, December 16th, 2023 at 10AM.
In 2022, several local bar and restaurant owners put together a new event, called HoHo Hoboken. This event has a similar premise to SantaCon, as it is a ticketed, pub-crawl-style event. HoHo Hoboken will return in 2023 on Saturday, December 16th.
HoHo Hoboken
HoHo Hoboken is a fairly new event that was born in 2022, and organized by a group of Hoboken bar owners. The second annual HoHo Hoboken is taking place on Saturday, December 16th at 11AM and, according to its founders, “is in no way affiliated with SantaCon.” At HoHo Hoboken, over 15 bars are participating, which is notably twice the amount than the SantaCon event, including The Lola, Birch Hoboken, Green Rock Tap + Grill, Mike’s Wild Moose Saloon, House of ‘Que, River Street Garage, Fat Taco Tequila Bar, Mills Tavern, Texas Arizona, The Brass Rail, The Waiting Room, Black Bear Bar + Grill, and Tally-Ho. No other event bracelets will be accepted at the participating establishments — including SantaCon’s. Portions of the ticket sales will be donated to TRUE Mentors, according to the HoHo Hoboken’s Event Instagram.
Pat Light, owner of Green Rock and several other downtown bars in Hoboken, posted on his TikTok about the event and its controversy, as well as insight into attending, below:
@pat__light Replying to @Makdaddy Hoboken Santacon is a crazy day and can be a lot of fun but get to the bar early. #patlight #hoboken #hobokennj #hobokengirl #hobokeneats #hobokenbars #santacon ♬ original sound – Pat Light
Hoboken SantaCon 2023
This year’s Hoboken SantaCon will take place on Saturday, December 16th at 10AM as announced on the official Hoboken SantaCon website. The full lineup of bars, which currently reports eight participating, includes Madd Hatter, Willie McBrides, Wicked Wolf, The Ainsworth, The Shannon, The Shepherd + The Knucklehead, Grove Station, Mikey Squared, and The Pilsener Haus + Biergarten. According to event organizers, the tickets grant access to a Hoboken SantaCon wristband, entry into participating venues, exclusive food and drink specials, a costume contest, and a digital bar list. A portion of the proceeds will go towards Toys for Tots, according to its website. This does not grant access to any of the Ho Ho Hoboken-participating bars.
See More: Here’s Where to See Santa in New Jersey This Season
While we love that revelers will come to Hoboken to spread Santa’s magic, for those looking for a way to spend some time away from the Mile Square, check out some of our ideas for day trips here.
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