Skip to main content
Hipster Santa has fled to the ’burbs.
After not getting his usual gig at Pioneer Place for two Christmases in a row, Hipster Santa will make a limited engagement at Washington Square, the mall announced Dec. 2. He will welcome visitors on from 4 to 7 pm on two Thursdays this month, Dec. 5 and 12. (Prebook a visit here.)
“We are excited to welcome Hipster Santa to Washington Square, where we have been hosting Santa for 50 years to the delight of local families who visit,” says Maria Halstead, Washington Square’s general manager. “We can’t speak for downtown, but Santa is very popular here at Washington Square.”
It’s quite a change, considering the concept of Hipster Santa was the brainchild of Pioneer Place’s marketing team about a decade ago. Known for his “naughty” and “nice” arm tattoos, man bun and thick-rimmed eyeglasses, Hipster Santa first attracted 90-minute lines of families and kidless adults in Pioneer Place’s rotunda back in December 2015. His set consisted of a Christmas tree, bike, vintage typewriter, and a yarn-bombed beaver statue.
Hipster Santa’s move to Washington Square comes about a week after The Oregonian reported on his two-year Pioneer Place absence and interviewed disappointed shoppers. But Washington Square management demurred on whether Hipster Santa’s appearance at the mall was related to his drop from Pioneer Place, saying only that the announcement came late because “everyone loves a surprise.”
A traditional Santa Claus will also be available for visits at Washington Square through Dec. 24.