Christmas may still be weeks away, but Santa Claus has arrived early in a Cole Harbour neighbourhood this year — in more ways than one.
If you drive into Colby Village, a subdivision in the Halifax-area community, you’ll instantly be greeted by an array of inflatable, waving Santa Clauses that are standing side by side from one front lawn to the next.
Meagan Cole, a participating resident who described the charity-driven project as a “group effort,” said the community-minded nature of her neighbourhood made everyone want to get involved.
“What started as about 20, 30 of us quickly snowballed into about 50,” she said, adding that any residents who were initially hesitant got involved after seeing the smiles it was bringing to the faces of everyone, both young and old, visiting the area.
Cole said the enormous blow-up Santas took on a greater meaning after a friend suggested they attach a charitable cause to their festive display.
Since then, the community has been able to direct this newfound interest in their neighbourhood toward a good cause — as volunteers are now stationed at the community’s entrance to collect donations for Feed Nova Scotia.
Many houses are also displaying signs on their front lawn featuring QR codes that direct visitors to the charity’s website.
“When I checked earlier today (Wednesday), we were at $6,250 for Feed Nova Scotia,” Cole smiled, admitting that the amount surprised her when she was initially presented with the numbers, as the donations have been skyrocketing since they reached their first $500.
“It’s so early in December … who knows how much we’re going to raise? That part has made it a lot of fun.”
The neighbourhood is currently home to about 130 blow-up Santas.
Tara Gillis, one of the first residents to allow Santa to occupy her yard, said she’s been pleasantly surprised by the reception to the idea.
“It’s gotten a lot of attention, it’s for a good cause, and the kids love it,” she said, adding that the community is also branding itself as “Colby North.”
“We knew that a few people would follow who maybe weren’t up for it initially, but it is really fun to drive around ourselves (and look).”
Ethan James, another Colby Village resident who, like most of his neighbours, boasts an inflatable Saint Nick in his front yard, said the recent movement is just another way of strengthening relationships in his area.
“I think this is definitely a really good way to have everyone get together,” he said, adding that he hopes to see the idea spread to other streets in the Halifax area.
“Maybe a different neighbourhood could do a Grinch.”
Cole said there’s “something special” about her Cole Harbour neighbourhood, as people in the area regularly host gatherings and events for the surrounding community.
“We had a snowball the other night where we were bouncing around from house to house, so community’s huge here. I’d never move, it’s the best,” she said.
Residents say they hope this won’t be Santa’s only trip to the Colby Village, and plan to see his return next year.
— with files from Zack Power
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