Santa To Go Shopping In Park Slope For Local Kids' Gifts

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — Kids in Park Slope won't just get to send their Christmas gift wishes to Santa this year, the big guy will also personally pick them up from local shops.

Santa Claus will make a special visit to Park Slope's Fifth Avenue on Saturday — accompanied by Mrs. Claus, reindeer and some special helpers — and shop for gifts kids asked for in a mailbox set up on the commercial corridor, the Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District announced.

The shopping spree will start at Fifth Avenue and Dean Street around 2 p.m., when Saint Nick and his crew will get dropped off in a vintage car. He'll then pop in and out of stores along Fifth Avenue between Dean and Fourth streets for about two hours, organizers said.

The shopping trip will specifically be in search of gifts that local kids mentioned in letters they posted to Santa's Mailbox set up on Fifth Avenue and Fourth Street.

When he's done looking on Saturday, Santa will stop by the mailbox again to grab any new letters.

The jolly gift-giver will also be available for free photos and to hand out free candy canes to shoppers on the avenue.

The trip will be just one of Santa's shopping sprees and appearances in the neighborhood before the big day on Dec. 25.

On Dec. 14 Santa will visit the Old Stone House for a fundraiser. He will pose for pictures for $10 each from 10 to 11:30 a.m. before heading up in the afternoon to finish his Fifth Avenue shopping, where he will stop at his mailbox, head to Union Street, then down to Ninth Street and finally back to the mailbox.

For that trip, also from 2 to 4 p.m., carolers will join Santa along the entire avenue.

Slopers can also catch Santa shopping in South Slope on Dec. 21. He will get dropped off by his vintage car at Fifth Avenue and 18th Street at 2 p.m. and look for kids gifts until he reaches his mailbox at Fourth Street, again with carolers along the way.