Santa is coming early this year…actually, the Santas are coming early this year and they are bringing with them a little bit of Anarchy. Santarchy 2005 will grip Madison on December 10 featuring a bus load of Santas traveling around the city to bring their own version of merriment to the masses. This is the third year of Santarchy in Madison and Dane101 interviewed organizers Kentucky Fried Santa and Santa Sugar Cane about what is becoming a regular tradition. Also visit the official Santarchy and SantaCon websites.

Dane101: How long have you been organizing Santarchy in Madison?

Santas:This will be the 3rd year that we have organized the Madison SantaCon/Santarchy event. And it should be noted that this event is not the same as the long-standing Santa bar crawl that meets annually on the 1st Saturday of December at The Pub on State St. The first year we did Santarchy in Madison our 20 Santas ran into 70 other Santas at The Pub - that was weird!

D101: Why did you want to start doing it?

Santas: We had attended Santacon events in Denver and Los Angeles previously, and when we moved here we were telling some new friends about the good times we'd had. There was enough interest that we decided to make it happen. And it's been growing each year since.

D101:What is the general reaction you receive when you enter a mall?

Santas:Oh, it really varies - there is everything from wide-eyed amazement to fear to laughing...and a lot of people just stare. The key is to keep moving and not stand still. But the mall security folks always have the same reaction - it's funny to see them get so flustered. Last year I heard them talking on the radio "we've got a bunch of Santa's here, and they won't stop saying Ho Ho Ho and playing with beach balls." As you can see, we're not a danger to security, we just challenge a narrow definition of "Merry Christmas" - the more Santas the better, right? :)

This year we're going to visit some other public spaces other than the mall and see how it works out. The theme is Art at Art - the gaggle o' Santas are a participatory art event, and we'll be visiting several art establishments around the Madison area. We'll see if we get the same reactions as in the malls. I think it will be different - I bet more people are likely to play along and have fun with the concept than get mad that we're possibly impeding on their holiday sales quota, or possibly trying to mess with the "real" Santa (which we've never done).

This isn't a totally anarchistic event - we do have a few guidelines:
- Santa does not break the law (unless it's a stupid law that begs to be broken)
- Santa does not make children cry (unless they whine, snivel or otherwise ask for it)
- Santa is friendly to cops & security guards and respects authority (unless their backs are turned)
- Santa does not use profanity (unless its absolutely fucking necessary)
- Santa sticks together (unless one of you gets caught breaking the law, in which case we'll swear we don't know you)
- Santa is here to have fun

D101: Can you tell me about a favorite Santarchy moment?

Santas: There have been wonderful moments when a little girl asked me to hold her hand while we were ice skating, an Asian woman in Chinatown who couldn't speak English but was very excited to get a gift kazoo, and the funny expressions people get when they realize Santa is singing naughty carol lyrics. But in particular some of my favorites have happened at the end of the night. A few of the Santarchy events we've gone to have ended the evening at exotic dance clubs. Somehow after a long day's work riding the sleigh, nothing relaxes Santa like a cocktail and watching a pole dance. One year I got a lap dance from my future wife dressed in a Ms. Santa suit. That's definitely a favorite.

D101: Around how many join you each year?

Santas:So far in Madison we've had about 20-25 folks each year. But we'd like to get as many as possible. As it's been said "No force on earth can stop one hundred Santa's!" ( http://www.santarchy.com/) And we've seen evidence of this first hand - we took part in a Los Angeles SantaCon with over 300 Santa's. I still smile when I think of all the stuff we did that day.

D101: How can others join in?

Santas:Anyone who feels excited about the Holidays and doesn't want it to be just another holidaze should come and get involved. Be a member of the Christmas Liberation Front and come get jolly in a regular santa suit or invent a Santa character (lots of pictures of past Santa costume creations available at http://www.santarchy.com/). Make the season about the spirit, not the money. Inject a little frivolity into people's narrow definition of an iconic figure (or combine iconic figures and be Santa Elvis).

Just like when the Zombies invaded Madison, Dane101 will be riding the bus and documenting the whole day of events. Below is the official list of planned activities for Santarchy 2005.

MADISON SANTARCHY 05
Art at Art
Chazen*Evermor*Overture

Hey all you good boys and girls on Santa's list! This year Santa 's Sleigh Ride is FREE!**

We provide: professional bus service, naughty/nice songbooks, "absolved from shopping" gift certificates and candy.

You provide: a Holiday Costume & Holiday Cheer

THIS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10

2:00 Red Shed, University Ave.
Santa meets for a shot of courage

2:30 Chazen Art Museum
Santa strokes his beard and admires the Art

3:00 Bus Departs for Dr. Evermor
WHAT?? You live in Madison and you've never been to Dr. Evermor's sculpture park??
Get on the sleigh!
http://heart2art2heart.com/pages/theforevertron.html (or google it!)

En route – Eggnog Competition!
Featuring Nitnog, The Vogt Family recipe, Foo Foo Juice and YOUR secret recipe.
Warning - the bus has been designated a caroling-friendly zone (both naughty and nice).

4:00 Dr. Evermor's Sculpture Garden
Bring a camera and snow-ready shoes!

6:00 Brocah's Irish Pub, 7 West Main St., Capitol Square
Guinness for all the good girls and boys! Santa and the Reindeer eat dinner.

7:30 Overture Center – Ring Around the Rotunda
Santa Carols for the "Nutcracker" crowd

8:00-??? Ho Ho Ho down State Street!
And back to the lot where you parked.
(or wander elsewhere around the North Pole/Capital Square and take a taxi home)

YOU MUST Have a Holiday-themed costume to get on the bus.

RSVP to madisonsantarchy – at – gmail – dot - com (if you haven't already). Bus space is limited & if you don't tell us you are coming, there may not be room. If you don't make the bus trip, you can meet up with Santa along the route.

Mallat's, PartyCity and WalMart have Santa costumes (yeah, only bad kids shop the 'Mart, but if you're a poor Santa who needs a $20 outfit, you decide!). Or make a cheap & colorful holiday outfit at St. Vinnies!

Some Santas like to give out cheap gifts or lumps of coal to the good/bad girls/boys. Thrift stores are good sources of inexpensive toys, and non-traditional gifts (like a can of tuna) can be funny. If it fits inside wrapping paper, it can be a gift. It's about the spirit, not the thing itself.

** This free event is thanks to generous support from the Pabst Corporation. No seriously, we're corporate whores for you, baby. (and we beg the spirit of Bill Hicks for forgiveness).