The second annual “An Edmonds Kind of SantaCon” raised $4,500 in cash and toys to support the Edmonds Food Bank’s Toy Shop that helps families in need during the holidays.

Organizers were Jewel Hagen, a nurse anesthesiologist with Paceline Anesthesia; Rebecca Taylor, a dentist with Green City Dental and Mindy Brown. a realtor with Dwell Well Homes. The three said they were pleased with the turnout for the Dec. 8 event, which filled downtown Edmonds with Santas, elves, reindeer and carolers spreading cheer.

SantaCon is a festive bar crawl that invites participants to don their best Santa, Mrs. Claus or holiday costumes and join the mission to “spread absurd joy.” As we reported in our earlier story here, Edmonds organizers put their own spin on things so that participating “Santa Stops” include not just bars but a variety of businesses offering festive fun for all ages, all day long.

In the spirit of giving, this year’s event also served as a fundraiser for the Edmonds Food Bank Toy Shop. Participating Santa Stops donated $1 for every featured drink sold, and QR codes at each location made it easy to contribute directly. Donation bins were also available at stops, with Terri’s Toybox serving as a central drop-off site.

According to Hagen, participants enjoyed gathering at the Santa Stops late into the evening, with over 30 festively costumed Seahawks fans gathered to watch the football game and enjoy the delicious food and beverages at Victor’s Tavern. Establishments at Salish Crossing also reported a good showing of SantaCon customers.

“At Niles Peacock Kitchen & Bar, we’re happy to be part of SantaCon and help give back to the community through this event,” said owner Niles Peacock. “It was a lot of fun, and I really think it’s going to get better each year! People really loved dressing up and having fun with it.”

Participating restaurants and pubs featured on the Santa Stops map donated over $2,200, with Rory’s leading the way. Sound Estate Planning PLLC also gave a $500 donation. In addition, SantaCon participants made separate donations of $1,253 plus $500 worth of toys. “Partnering with the Edmonds Food Bank has been a joy,” said organizer Jewel Hagen. “We give a special thank you to our beloved Edmonds community for their support and generosity this holiday season.”

Organizers said they are looking forward to an even bigger and better third annual ‘An Edmonds Kind of SantaCon during the first weekend of December 2025. “We hope that SantaCon becomes an annual tradition for downtown Edmonds, and our dream is that someday this festive event will be big enough that Main Street will need to be closed to traffic to make room for all of the cheerful Santas and Santa’s helpers,” Hagen said.