Might Be Tough Meeting St. Nick This Year as Santa Shortage Hits Michigan

There's a real good chance that kids across Michigan might not get to meet Father Christmas this year as there seems to be a Santa Claus shortage.

It's the time of year when kids get either really excited to meet Santa Claus or they kick and scream trying to get away from him. Normally you can walk into any mall during the holidays and there he is just waiting to have a bunch of kids tell him what they want for Christmas. This year, however, it's going to be tough meeting him because there is a Santa shortage across the country and that includes right here in Michigan.

According to Today, Mitch Allen, the head of Hire Santa, a company that provides Christmas characters to stores and events nationwide, said that he's never seen a demand or shortage of Santas of this magnitude. The demand for Santas is through the roof while the number of available ones has plummeted.

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Mitch Allen:

Number one is, you can imagine that Santa Claus entertainers are at high risk for negative consequences if they catch COVID.

There is the option to meet Santa virtually but that seems kind of lame to me. You can also hire Santa for holiday parties and events, just keep in mind that it may be tough to get one due to the shortage.

If you're wanting to meet Santa this year, companies recommend making online reservations as early as possible, as time slots fill up fast.