Santa’s lap is off limits this year but he’s still coming to town

Jolly Old St. Nicholas is making his way to the Tri-Cities.

Santa will be ready to see children at Columbia Center at the end of the month, said a news release from Simon, the parent company of the mall.

Visiting and getting pictures with Santa will be a “socially distanced experience,” because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is our top priority to ensure the health and well-being of our guests and Santa, therefore, this year guests will not sit on Santa’s lap during their interaction, but will still have the opportunity to engage in conversation and a magical experience with Santa, while maintaining physical distance,” said the Cherry Hill Programs website, which runs the Santa program for Simon.

For more details on the rules, go to cherryhillprograms.com.

Santa makes his first appearance Nov. 27 and will be available through Dec. 24.

Hours will be 1 to 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Hours Christmas Eve will be 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Reservations are required at http://bit.ly/ColumbiaCenterSanta. Appointments are in 15-minute increments.

This story was originally published November 2, 2020 at 12:59 PM.