A holiday fantasy steeped in local history and sweetened by family memories will bound down Green Street in Gainesville Dec. 7 when a throng of green-suited Santas kicks off an annual holiday celebration. Thousands of spectators awaiting the traditional Christmas on Greet Street parade will see history in the making when costumed white-bearded runners and walkers spread green from sidewalk-to-sidewalk in the first Green Street Santa Sprint.
The idea for a one-mile sprint on the parade route sprung from home towner Abby Loggins’s childhood memories of her grandmother’s commitment to the city’s Memorial Day tribute on Green Street. “She always helped with planning and I think she was a grand marshal,” Loggins recalled.
The excitement about parades that stirred when she was a little girl took a fast track after she married a Hall County runner who started a race timing business, Runners Fit, in his college dorm room. Zach and Abby Loggins now co-own the new Big Peach Running Co. franchise in Braselton/Flowery Branch and organize races from Atlanta to North Georgia.
“I got the inside scoop on running … and thought, why not do a run before a parade?” Abby Loggins said. She aimed to trot out her idea in the “biggest-attended parade in Gainesville.” She described the jolly juxtaposition of a Green Street parade and sprinting or strolling green Santas as a “passion project” that’s finally nearing the starting line. She ordered 1,000 green Santa suits that come with a hat, beard, jacket, pants and belt after the city gave her the green light.
She first pitched the idea to Gainesville Tourism Director Robyn Lynch, who envisioned the sprint as “a fun way to enhance the holiday spirit” of a Gainesville tradition that has drawn regional visitors for decades. “The parade committee which consists of city personnel from tourism, parks and recreation, police, fire and public works heard a presentation from the event organizers and were immediately in support of the race,” Lynch said. “Council was also supportive of this fun new addition to our holiday festivities.”
Loggins said that the one-mile distance on the parade route between Holly Street and the Brenau University lawn would be comfortable enough for families with toddlers in tow or babies in strollers. Couples might jog hand-in-hand. Competitive sprinters on a Christmas rush might set a 1-mile personal record they can Ho! Ho! Ho! about. No one needs to fret about getting swept up in the parade, which follows the sprint. Ladies dressed in Victorian attire will set the parade pace as they saunter slowly behind the Santas. Everyone gets a finish medal and an official race time.
Participants can register in advance and pick up their Santa suits from the Junior League Lodge on Riverside Drive on Dec. 6. “If participants cannot get to packet pick-up on Dec. 6, they can pick up on Dec. 7 at the start line on the corner of Thompson Bridge Road and Holly Road starting at 2 p.m. Participants can walk over to the Civic Center if they need to change or there will be lots of porta-potties at the start line” where Santa imposters can throw their outfits over their running clothes and go, Loggins said.
The suits come in all sizes to fit chubby elves, skinny Santas, or even kid Santas. “There’s no stuffing, but we encourage it,” Loggins said. She also encouraged participants get their outfits the day before the sprint, in case they need “pinning or tucking.” She emphasized that regardless of the fit, the green suits are lightweight and should be worn over athletic clothing to avoid blushing or freezing Santas.
“We expect a big turnout. Some people are going to have to see it to believe it. Once people see Santas coming down Green Street, they’re going to want to do it next year,” Loggins said.
“I would be thrilled to see it become a part of the celebration for years to come,” said Lynch, Gainesville’s tourism director.
Proceeds from the sprint go to the Diaper Bank of North Georgia, a community outreach program supported by the Junior League of Hall County-Gainesville. A lot of families struggle to provide these essentials, said Loggins, who is also Junior League president this year. Through their registration fee, Santas footing it down Green Street will be giving to those in need.
The Santa Sprint is among several silly holiday foot races taking off around Lake Lanier this month. Check the Lakeside Outdoor Calendar for information about the Dec. 6 Santa Run Toys for Tots and Dec. 20 Christmas Jingle Jog, both in Cumming; Dec. 20 Reindeer Run in Buford; and the Santa Shuffle Ugly Sweater Edition in Cumming on Christmas Eve.
Image: courtesy Runners Fit Race Works
Expect lively evening at Christmas on Green Street
The annual holiday event draws thousands of spectators who line the sidewalks of Gainesville’s beloved historic thoroughfare to watch a parade, tour Victorian-era homes, sing carols, and ride in carriages before the lighting of the Rotary Tree at the intersection of Green Street and West Academy Street. Green Street will be closed to traffic before the Santa Sprint takes off. Arrive early. Plan to park off-site and walk to the festivities.
Here’s the rundown:
- Christmas on Green Street: Antique car parade, marching bands, floats, food trucks, mini-train rides, activities, performances at historic homes, lighting of Rotary Tree, 3-7 p.m. p.m. Dec. 7. www.exploregainesville.org.
- Green Street Santa Sprint: 1-mile point-to-point run/walk, 3:55 p.m. Dec. 7, 781 Green Street (corner of Holly/Green St.). $35-$40. https://runsignup.com/greenstreetsantasprint.
- Holly Jolly Market, Gainesville: Local holiday market, 1-4 p.m. Dec. 7, Gainesville Times, 345 Green St. www.exploregainesville.com.
