Carolina Santa Carter
- Charleston, SC
- Santa Claus
- 141 Verified Bookings
Jessica S. said “We hired Carolina Santa for our annual holiday event and he was absolutely the BEST guest! Amazing with infants, children and adults. Very personable,…”
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I am a real bearded Santa* with a real Santa belly! I have extensive specialized training in talking to/interacting with children of all ages and can confidently say that no other Santa in South Carolina has the specific type of training I have.
You can schedule me for your office/corporate Holiday Party, public or private event, or for a private in-home visit where I can interact with the whole family, read/tell a story and/or pose for family photos to create special moments that your family will cherish for years to come!
*Santa Topher is a member of The International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas (IBRBS) and The Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas (FORBS).
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This was the 2nd year we had Santa Topher at Stingrays games for our holiday promotion. He is great to work with, professional, and more importantly amazing with our fans of all ages. I highly recommend him for any occasion. We had a full agenda for him this year over the span of 3 games and each day was a great experience. The kids really gravitate to him, and he is very kind to them.
Santa Topher was recommended to us by a friend and we are so grateful we had the chance to have him for our neighborhood gathering. The kids and adults alike loved him. He engaged with each child in a way that made them feel special and comfortable. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a delightfully friendly and professional Santa.
Santa Topher helped make our law firm holiday party a success! He arrived early, mingled with all of the guests, and really elevated the holiday spirit.
Santa Topher could very well be the real deal!!!! He was so engaging with out guest and their children, some of which were special needs he was perfect in adapting to each child individually. His warmth, kindness and distinct belly laugh made the party. I would definitely hire Santa Topher again...truly a gem of Santa's and made feel the joy and peace of this season.
We had Santa Topher appear at our Sing for Santa promotion at the SC Stingrays game on December 1. He arrived in advance to make sure was ready to entertain when scheduled and was wonderful with all the kids while walking through the concourse. In addition, he appeared on our video board and provided great entertainment during our game. Our staff commented on how kind he was as well.
Santa Topher was a a huge success. The children absolutely adored him. What a wonderful personality. He made sure that he took his time with every single child and also for picture taking. We would high recommend him!
Price Range: $140 and up
Languages: English
I AM Santa! Let's get that cleared up straight away. Once the Big Red Suit goes on I will not "break character" for any reason whatsoever until after the suit comes off.
As much as I love to interact with the children, it is important to let them guide their experience for the most part. I like to put them in as much control of their Santa experience as I can because that is very empowering for them and helps create a memorable experience that they will cherish for years to come.
Forcing a scared child to sit on Santa's lap so that you can get the picture neither helps the child have a positive Santa experience nor creates a positive lasting memory for anyone. If you're child is too scared to sit on Santa's lap, let's not force them to. Instead, let's redirect their attention and spend a bit time letting them warm up to me. Some children just don't like strangers, and just because I'm Santa, doesn't mean the child feels comfortable with me. That's okay. We can change things up a bit and still get a great photo and/or help your child have a positive Santa experience. Perhaps we all sit on the floor and play while mom or dad take the picture(s), if the child is okay with that. Maybe instead of sitting on Santa's lap, mom or dad holds the child while sitting on Santa's lap or maybe Santa stands behind them. The point is that there are plenty of ways to enjoy and/or capture the moment in a positive way that won't leave your child traumatized by being forced into a situation with which they are clearly not comfortable.
I am very good and patient with shy children, as well.
I will never directly tell a child no, even though you (the parent) may really want me to. Sorry, but I can't be the bad guy. This most often comes up when the child wants a puppy, a pony or some other live animal that the parents really don't want to deal with. There is a delicate balance in how to speak to a child in an honest, sincere and empowering way without making promises that may not be kept. For that reason I do not make any promises to the children other than what I know for a fact I can personally deliver or, in certain circumstances, what the parents have confirmed with absolute certainty that they are going to deliver.
I prefer not to rush through it, but I do understand that sometimes we have to work within certain time constraints. If your event is large, then you will either need to have an event coordinator or someone designated to stay with me and ensure that everyone who wants to gets to see Santa in a safe and orderly fashion. This is for their safety, as well as mine. When I do the James Island County Park Festival of Lights, for example, they hire a whole team of elves to help keep things moving in a safe and orderly fashion. Not saying you need to hire a whole team of elves, but you may need to hire/appoint one or two people. Of course, I can bring Mrs. Claus or an elf (for an additional fee), depending on availability.
I absolutely love being Santa and it is one of my passions. My purpose when I don the Big Red Suit is to create a positive, memorable experience for all involved, but especially and most importantly the children.
I have been Santa since 2015. When I'm not in the big red suit, I am a nationally certified court appointed special advocate who works as a professional child advocate for abused and neglected children for the State of South Carolina. My passion is helping children. I am the only professional Santa in South Carolina trained to empower abused children, I am a mandatory reporter, I am fingerprint background checked every three years, and SLED checked every year. In short, you will not find another Santa with my level of training, dedication, or background checks!
I was asked recently why I love being Santa so much. I can honestly say that when I don the suit and become Santa, something truly magical happens. I get to forget about all of the ugliness in the world and not let it touch me; my heart truly fills with joy, especially when I get to interact with the kids and see their smiles and their happiness and excitement. I get to help create a positive experience and memory for kids that hopefully lasts a lifetime. But even if it's just for that day or moment, it really just fills me with so much joy that people who've known me for years sometimes have to do a double take to recognize me!
You will need to provide a chair/throne that can support at least 500 pounds for Santa to have children sit on his lap. It is not uncommon for parents and/or teenagers to also want to sit on Santa's lap, and Santa is already a very large man (not 500, pounds large, though!). So please keep that in mind. If you do not have one then I may be able to refer you to a rental company.
Depending on the size of your event, you may need to have an event organizer dedicated to managing the flow/line so that all those wishing to sit on Santa's lap and/or get pictures with Santa will be able to do so in a safe and orderly manner. This is for their safety and for Santa's. If you wish, then I can provide a Mrs. Claus or a Santa's Elf (depending on availability) for an additional fee of $125/hr*.
Protection from the elements is a requirement. Outdoor venues are more than fine, but proper wind and rain protection is a must. I can not be sitting in high winds, the rain, puddles, getting wet, etc.
December 21, 2024 • 11:00am - 3:00pm | Festival |
December 19, 2024 • 7:30pm - 9:00pm | Corporate Event |
December 14, 2024 • 10:30am - 5:00pm | Belk |
December 08, 2024 • 2:00pm - 4:30pm | Sporting Event |
December 07, 2024 • 5:00pm - 7:30pm | Sporting Event |
December 07, 2024 • 12:30pm - 3:30pm | Belk |
December 06, 2024 • 5:00pm - 7:00pm | Sporting Event |
December 17, 2023 • 9:00am - 3:00pm | Santa Topher at the Aquarium |
December 16, 2023 • 1:30pm - 4:00pm | Christmas Party |
December 10, 2023 • 9:00am - 3:00pm | Santa Topher at the Aquarium |
December 09, 2023 • 11:30am - 2:30pm | Nonprofit Event |
December 08, 2023 • 7:00pm - 8:00pm | Christmas Party |
December 03, 2023 • 9:00am - 3:00pm | Santa Topher at the Aquarium |
December 01, 2023 • 7:00pm - 9:00pm | Sporting Event |
December 19, 2021 • 4:30pm - 10:30pm | HFOL |
December 18, 2021 • 4:30pm - 10:30pm | HFOL |
December 18, 2021 • 11:30am - 12:30pm | Christmas Party |
December 14, 2021 • 4:30pm - 10:30pm | HFOL |
December 13, 2021 • 4:30pm - 10:30pm | HFOL |
December 12, 2021 • 12:30pm - 3:30pm | CRC Christmas Party |
December 11, 2021 • 7:30am - 3:30pm | Mingle with Kringle |
December 10, 2021 • 4:30pm - 10:30pm | HFOL |
December 06, 2021 • 4:30pm - 10:30pm | HFOL |
December 05, 2021 • 7:30am - 3:30pm | Mingle with Kringle |
December 04, 2021 • 7:30am - 3:30pm | Mingle with Kringle |
November 29, 2021 • 4:00pm - 10:30pm | HFOL |
November 28, 2021 • 4:00pm - 10:30pm | HFOL |
November 21, 2021 • 3:30pm - 10:30pm | HFOL |
November 04, 2021 • 4:30pm - 9:30pm | HFOL |
Chair/Throne with at least a 500 pound capacity.
Roof/Covering/Protection from wind and rain.
Jessica S. said “We hired Carolina Santa for our annual holiday event and he was absolutely the BEST guest! Amazing with infants, children and adults. Very personable,…”
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