Get into the Christmas spirit with GRTV's Santa Show

In early December each year, the GRTV studio transforms into a winter wonderland as kids and adults alike throughout Grand Rapids wait impatiently for the arrival of their favorite jolly Christmas icon – Santa Claus!

The Santa Show is a long-running tradition at GRTV. GRTV is the public access channel for the city of Grand Rapids, where community members can air their own non-commercial content. As a service of the Grand Rapids Community Media Center, GRTV also provides content that helps facilitate conversations and build community. And so the Santa Show began as a fun way for people in our city to get into the Christmas spirit.

In the past, Santa and one of his elves would visit the studio for an hour-long show, and take calls from boys and girls live on the air. The show took a brief hiatus for a couple years, and started back up again in 2015. The format of the show has remained the same, with updates to keep it fresh and to incorporate technology – for example, you can tweet your questions and Christmas wishes directly to Santa at @GRTVSanta!

When GRTV Station Manager Ted Diedrich mentioned inviting Santa to the studio to bring the show back in 2015, I knew I had to be involved! First, we had to find someone jolly enough to play Santa. Real-life husband and wife Eric and Sue Vesely were cast as Santa and Mrs. Claus. My character, Buttons the Elf, joins them in the studio to help take calls from kids and to help spread the Christmas spirit to our community.

As it’s the season of giving, the show also acts as a vehicle to promote how our local nonprofits are giving back throughout the holidays and how the community can get involved. The show also helps to educate with practical tips for the winter - last year, the Grand Rapids Fire Department joined us to discuss holiday safety tips.

Of course, we couldn’t have a Christmas show without some fun holiday music! Local bands visit Santa in the studio to play his favorite tunes. In 2016, Channing and Quinn (joined by Buttons the Elf on clarinet) played their rendition of “Santa Baby”. Channing and Quinn will be joining us again this year for another special performance.

Playing Buttons and being a part of the GRTV Santa Show is easily one of my favorite things to do throughout the year. As adults, Christmas is a time where we can step back and look at life through a child’s eyes – with hope, excitement, and thankfulness for what the past year has brought us and for the New Year ahead. The holiday season is about bringing joy to those around us, and what better way than making a child’s day by getting to interact with Santa! And couldn’t we all use some of that holiday cheer?

This is your chance to talk to Santa!

Join us live on GRTV (Comcast Cable Channel 24) next Monday, December 11, 2107 from 5 p.m.- 6 p.m. Santa will answer your tweets, read stories, and we’ll have a few special guests!