Santas of various shapes and sizes participate yesterday in the annual Santacon. (Marcel Cretain/QMI Agency)

WINNIPEG - Who wants a Ho-Ho-Hoegaarden?

Yesterday evening dozens of people strapped on their Santa Claus suits and headed off to numerous nightclubs in the name of the holiday season.

For the eighth straight year, the social gathering known as Santacon fired up the sleigh and set a course for downtown Winnipeg. Adam Dudek, who helped organize this year's event, explains why:

Holiday spirits

"It's our way of celebrating Christmas," he said an hour before taking it to the streets. "There's nothing political or any message behind it -- it's just a way for people to go out and have some fun."

While nightclubs are the norm, Team Santa isn't above crashing any event or business it comes across.

Shopping malls are fair game and music venues are in play, and the copious amounts of holiday spirits consumed by these part-time Pere Noels -- and their resulting actions -- is cancelled out by a simple theory: no one is going to kick Santa to the curb.

"I don't want to simplify it, but it's basically just an opportunity to get drunk and run amok," said Dudek, as Twisted Sister's version of Oh Come All Ye Faithful blared from the audio system in his duffle bag. Last winter, Dudek said 144 people took part in the Winnipeg Santacon.

In past years the group convinced the elves to build them a bus to cart their cheer around the city. Yesterday it was a walking tour, but with the temperature dipping down to a North Pole-ish -30 C last night, just how jolly everyone would be was the big question.

Message for the kids

"I decided to layer up quite a bit," said Adam Meisner, making his first Santacon appearance. "I'm already sweating, but I'd rather be a little warm than really cold. I have a feeling once we get through a couple bars I won't even notice the weather."

Ah, an important message for the kids out there:

If it's a cold Christmas Eve night, maybe include a little something next to the milk and cookies to help warm ol' St. Nick. Twelve-year-old scotch would be great.

Santa appreciates single malt.

adam.wazny@sunmedia.ca