SantaCon Spokane Off To Good Start

Santas gathered in droves Saturday evening at bars around the globe to celebrate SantaCon 2013. The event made its Spokane debut this year, and about 30 dressed as Santa, elves and even Gingy from “Shrek” gathered at the Red Lion pub downtown to kick off the pub crawl. Though the Christmas events in big cities can attract thousands of Santas, drunken misbehavior has earned some of the bar crawlers coal in their stockings. Some New York bars banned the Santas on Saturday, saying the event was too rowdy. That’s not what SantaCon Spokane is about, organizer Jon Noland said, laying out some rules at the kickoff. “It’s all about fun and coming together,” Noland said, adding he hopes to improve Spokane by supporting local businesses/ Kaitlin Gillespie , SR. More here. (SR photo: Darren Schurger, dressed as Gingy the gingerbread man, takes a bite of a gingerbread cookie, while Santas Dean Davis, left, and Nathan Lee, center, look on at Boots Bakery and Lounge on Saturday)

Question: I’m unclear on the concept re: SantaCon. Can anyone explain the reason for its being?