Santacon 2008

Four Santas relax at El Cid and pose for the camera  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

Clowns protest outside El Cid against the Santa’s rough treatment of elves and reindeer.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

Plenty of holiday cheer was in the air on one of Santacon’s five schoolbuses chartered for the occasion.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

Kisses from a Santa during Santacon.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

Two gift-wrapped presents pose in the El Cid hallway.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

Two Santas get close at sunset before a Santicon snowball fight broke out.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

One of Santacon organizers gives instructions to the assembled Santas into a megaphone.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

One of Santa’s little helpers tries unsuccessfully to pop a wheelie on a BMX bike outside of the 4100 Bar.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

All along the Santacon bar crawl, festive Santas chanted and sung.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

A brave Santa tosses a snowball toward the end of a parking lot snowball fight.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

Santacon stopped at uWink for dinner as the Santas attempted to order their food on the touch screens.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

Some Santacons brought their own beverages in outdoor adventure-friendly camel packs.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

This Santa had been growing his beard for more than five months for the event.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

An “anarchist” Santa rocks a candy cane mohawk.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

One of the midnight riders cyclists looks lost amid the Santacon chaos.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

A man in a passing car takes a photo of the Santa shenanigans outside the Power House in Hollywood.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

Is this Santa covering up from the snow or hiding from the camera?  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

One Santa tries to help another to his feet in front of oncoming traffic.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

There was plenty of time to drink a beverage of choice while waiting for the Santacon buses to fill up and depart for the next destination.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

This Santa was “arrested” by a female cop and firefighter.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

Santacon revelers continued feeling festive all through the night.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

Beers were provided to all Santacon attendees before the trip to Jumbo’s Clown Room.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

The annual event Santacon found a mob of Santas descending upon a variety of bars and nightclubs around the Silver Lake and Hollywood area. Here the Santacon Santas show their appreciation for one of the dancers at Jumbo’s Clown Room.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

A rowdy Santa pretends to hitchhike for passing cars in Echo Park.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

A brief attempt at shopping cart racing breaks out during Santacon.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

The DJ at Bootie LA at the Echoplex entertains the Santas at the official Santacon afterparty.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

Big smiles all around at the close of Santacon.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

One of the many Santacon revelers works out her moves at Bootie LA at the Echoplex.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

A hula hoop dancer entertained the Santacon crowd at Bootie LA at the Echoplex.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

Santas hang out while the DJ at Bootie LA at the Echoplex spins mash-ups.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)

Santas mingle on the dance floor at Bootie LA at the Echoplex.  (Colin Young-Wolff / For The Times)