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Bay Curious

How SantaCon Got Its Start in San Francisco Counterculture

Bay Curious

KQED

History, Society & Culture, Places & Travel

4.9999 Ratings

🗓️ 6 December 2018

⏱️ 10 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The event's roots go back to 1994, when a counterculture group called the Cacophony Society hosted "Cheap Suit Santas."

Transcript

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0:00.0

From K-QED.E-D.

0:03.0

Every December there is one day that many in the Bay Area look forward to all year long.

0:09.0

Every December there is one day that many in the Bay Area look forward to all year long.

0:15.0

A day full of festivities your santa suit, join 17,000 of your santa suit,

0:28.0

join 17,000 of your closest friends, and test your alcohol tolerance.

0:34.0

I first encountered Santa Con in 2014 when I went out to San Francisco with a friend

0:41.0

and I saw people in Santa costumes and I had no idea what was going on.

0:45.8

This is Alyssa Poe from Berkeley.

0:47.8

Over the years, she's happened upon San Francisco's Santa Con a few times.

0:52.0

You'll see people wearing some version of a Santa costume

0:55.1

and they'll just be going from bar to bar

0:57.3

in big groups of Santa's.

0:58.9

Think bar crawl meets Christmas parade.

1:02.0

Now, Alyssa saw all this happening on San Francisco streets

1:05.7

and got to wondering,

1:07.0

what are the origins of Santa Con?

1:12.1

Today, the biggest Santa Con is in New York and you can find them happening all

1:16.3

across the globe in places like London, Melbourne and Tokyo. But what most people don't know is the roots of this drinking holiday were

1:26.9

formed right here in San Francisco. I'm Olivia Alan Price and you're listening to Bay Curious.

1:36.0

This week we dive into the history of Santa Con and its countercultural roots.

1:41.0

Support for Bay Curious is brought to you by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company,

1:48.0

still family owned, operated, and argued over.

...

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