Ephemera

L. Valentín
Dec 19, 2017
3 min read

Sunday night the weather at the village was cold and crisp but not windy. The landscape was full of different shades of browns contrasted by the white of the leftover snow and Rob Whitney was getting the bonfire ready for our Christmas by Candlelight. As I watched Rob work on the bonfire he told me that the night before we had about 2700 visitors come through the village, I believe it and why not!....great weather, beautiful backdrop and the spirit of the holidays comes to life as the village candlelit evening becomes the perfect time-traveled experience for everyone to enjoy.

Once again I suited up as an elf with my sole mission to help Santa Larry bring joy to many of our young and not so young visitors. OSV junior interns Laurelyn Mayan and Tralee Noonan were also on Santa Larry's North Pole team. The young elves were on creative duties with our ornament activity for the children. Wink, wink from Santa!

I got to hang with Santa Larry Vigus before we opened the doors. My conversation with Santa Larry revealed that besides being a wonderful Santa he is also an actor, college professor and occupies a very unusual summer job with children at Clark's Trading Post in Lincoln, New Hampshire. You can ask Santa Larry about that next time you see him! It's worth it!

We discussed his unique last name and how in search for other Viguses he has generated some great adventures... from google translated e-mails with an Argentinian furniture store name Vigus to contemplating the idea of "borrowing" a Vigus Street sign in Vigus Missouri just outside of St. Louis. Santa Larry found out that his family name was not really Spanish but most likely French. Joyeux Noël Père Noël! Santa Larry you can be my Spanish brother anytime! !Feliz Navidad!

Santa Larry was sharing with me how he was a fan of Ephemera memorabilia and of course that ended up being my Christmas present from Santa... a mini lecture on its meaning. A great present for my intellectual side but not quite the new camera I was hoping for from Santa..

Santa Larry and I got started right at 3pm and didn't stop until about 7:30pm when the line finally stop multiplying. We had a night of great Christmas wishes from laptops to trains sets, pogo sticks to real ponies and stables, apple peelers to bows and arrows and of course the smartphones. "You can ask for a smartphone but did you know there is a monthly charge?" said Santa.

Many of the children would ask me, "is that really Santa?". I would say to them, "What do you think?". They would say.... "Yes, he is the real Santa..." "You are right Taylor and Mason that is the real Santa!"

Throughout the evening we had many " photographer's" requests, like the family of about 55 people, well it felt like 55 of them who wanted a group picture with Santa. It was more like... where is Santa?

You still have time to see Santa Larry from December 21st through the 23rd at Old Sturbridge Village's Christmas by Candlelight!

Stop by the Asa Knight Store on Saturday love to say hi to you!

See you next year Santa!