HANOVER, Pa. — The Hanover Christmas Committee announced on Facebook Monday that Santa's Cabin will be part of the holiday season in the York County borough for a 79th consecutive year.
Now, the bad news: Hanover's Holiday Parade and Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, normally held on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, respectively, will be canceled this year, according to the Christmas Committee's post.
"We are looking forward to sharing a virtual experience with you in partnership with Community Media," the committee said.
Santa's Cabin will open on Nov. 27, according to the Facebook post.
COVID-19 safety measures, including a plexiglass divider that will keep Jolly Old St. Nick and his visitors safely socially distanced, will be in place, organizers said.
Visitors must also wear masks, will be encouraged to maintain social distance while waiting in line, and will have hand sanitizers available for use, the Christmas Committee said.
"We will have painted stencils to mark a line that can accommodate visitor groups that will be spread six feet," organizers said. "These marks will prompt visitors to stand in the designated spaces until they reach the cabin.
"When visitors arrive, they’ll be kept at a distance until their turn to enter. We will also have a volunteer temperature log to manage our volunteer’s safely. Candy canes and chips provided to each visiting child will be pre-packed into bags that will be handed to each child after their visit at the cabin by a volunteer.
"Santa’s letters and any in-person letters will be collected, but no items will be passed between visitors and Santa."
More detailed guidelines, how-to-visit videos, and additional tips will be available on the Santa's Cabin website in the coming weeks, the committee said.
These are just a few of the ways we will be managing the health and safety of our volunteers, Santa, and the community this year at Santa’s Cabin. More detailed guidelines, how-to visit PSA videos, and additional tips for your visit will be available on our website in the coming weeks.
The following are the dates that the cabin will be open:
- Fri. Nov. 27: 10 a.m.-12 p.m., 1:30-6 p.m.
- Sat. Nov. 28: 10 a.m.-12 p.m., 1:30-6 p.m. (Small Business Saturday)
- Mon. Nov. 30: 6-8 p.m.
- Fri. Dec. 4: 6-8 p.m.
- Sat. Dec 5: 10 a.m.-12 p.m., 1:30-6 p.m.
- Mon. Dec. 7 thru Fri. Dec. 11: 6-8 p.m.
- Sat. Dec 12: 10 a.m.-12 p.m., 1:30-6 p.m.
- Mon. Dec. 14 thru Fri. Dec. 18: 6-8 p.m.
- Sat. Dec. 19: 10 a.m.-12 p.m., 1:30-6 p.m.
- Mon. Dec. 21 thru Wed. Dec. 23: 6-8 p.m.
"We understand that any changes to the infection rates in Hanover can impact our ability to keep the cabin open, so we are prompting the community to follow our website and social media channels to ensure the cabin’s hours before visiting," organizers said. "Our Christmas Committee has been working overtime to plan for a variety of virtual events and online activities that we will announce in the coming days."
