Seasonal & Holidays
Chicago's Black Santa To Make Only Suburban Appearance In Aurora
Registration to meet Dreezy Claus opened at 9 a.m. Tuesday and was fully booked within half an hour, so officials opened a waitlist.
AURORA, IL — Dreezy Claus, Chicago's popular, self-proclaimed Black Santa, is scheduled to visit Aurora for the first time Dec. 20.
Played by Andre Russell, Dreezy Claus will hold his only suburban appearance when he makes a highly requested visit to Illinois' second-largest city from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Belle Salle Banquets, 1920 E. New York St, officials said in a news release.
In order to see the famed Santa, visitors are required to have free, limited tickets — for which registration opened at 9 a.m. Tuesday. But within half an hour, all slots were claimed, officials said Tuesday afternoon.
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The Aurora African American Heritage Advisory Board and the Mayor's Office of Equity and Inclusion, who are hosting the event, have opened a waiting list, which Chief Communications Officer Clayton Muhammad described as already "robust." People who weren't able to grab tickets can join the waitlist and keep their eyes out for possible openings.
"If there are any openings or changes in the schedule to accommodate more people, those on the list will be notified first," Muhammad wrote in an email.
Find out what's happening in Aurorafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
When meeting him, children and families can take photos with their own cameras and receive the new Dreezy Claus Magical Coloring Book.
This season, Dreezy Claus is on a mission to continue spreading Christmas cheer and show families that "Santa is magical," he told Patch reporter Mark Konkol. "He can be whatever he wants to be in a moment."
Last month, he made history by being the first Black Santa to participate in Chicago's tree-lighting ceremony at Millennium Park, Patch reported.
"I want to make positive memories. 'Santa came to my house, and we played a game.' That's a memory no one can take away," Russell said. "My message is always the same: Be good to each other. I talk about being nice and never naughty, and taking care of your siblings, and listening to your parents and teachers, and be good at school."
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