Yule School: A BTS Look at Santa Camp

Phil Griffin and Malinda Coletta of North Providence. Photography courtesy of Brittany Adams photography.

Being Santa is serious business. Just ask Bill Palmer of Westerly, who’s been portraying the man in red for the past thirty-eight years. His wife, Roberta — who recently started joining him as Mrs. Claus — first recruited Bill four decades ago when she needed a Santa for a local event.

“I thought it was a one-time thing,” Bill says.

Every August, the couple joins close to 100 other Santas and their partners in Greenfield, New Hampshire, for Santa Camp. Hosted by the New England Santa Society, the camp offers a three-day course in everything Santa. Programs range from beginner to advanced and include topics such as beard care and building a backstory.

More than sixty Santas and their assistants attended Santa Camp this year. Photography courtesy of Nancy Callender.

“It’s intense,” says Malinda Coletta of North Providence, who portrays Mrs. Claus alongside her husband, Phil Griffin. “We go from eight in the morning until ten at night. It’s class all day.”

The camp has been spreading Christmas cheer since 2016. Several years earlier, Dan Greenleaf, president and co-founder of the New England Santa Society, attended a national Santa conference and was surprised to meet other jolly old elves from the region. After working as a Santa in New Hampshire for three years, he was encountering other local Santas for the first time.

The Santas agreed some professional development was in order and founded the New England Santa Society in 2012. Today, Santa Camp attracts hard-working North Pole residents from around the country, including nine this year from Rhode Island. The weekend runs from lunchtime on Friday until Sunday afternoon, with veteran Santas leading immersive workshops, classes and fireside talks.

Bill and Roberta Palmer of Westerly. Photography courtesy of Roberta and Bill Palmer.

“It’s an opportunity to get a good overview of the whole process and everything that’s involved,” Greenleaf says.

Aside from looking the part, attendees learn a range of skills for the twenty-first-century Santa. One course during the pandemic focused on portraying Santa over Zoom, while others discuss Santa selfies and coaxing camera-shy kids. Attendees also learn basic sign language and how to interact with children with disabilities. A 2022 HBO documentary focused on the camp’s efforts to diversify its Santa cohort so all children can see themselves reflected at Christmastime.

Coletta says her favorite part of the weekend takes place after dinner, when Santa, Mrs. Claus and the elves sit around swapping stories and enjoying a North Pole favorite — milk and cookies.

“Sometimes the milk is a little bit fortified,” Griffin adds.

The Rhode Island contingent at Santa Camp. Photography courtesy of Nancy Callender.

For Bill Palmer, the best part of Santa Camp takes place after the weekend, when he and Roberta put their newfound skills to use as Santa and Mrs. Claus.

“It’s the unconditional love you get back, from the older folks right down to the smallest kid,” he says. “When they come running up to you and give you a hug, and you’re not even looking for it — there it is. You can’t buy that.”