‘Twas three weeks before Christmas and all through downtown
Hundreds of wet Santa Clauses had come ’round.
The rain had drenched them from their heads to their toes.
It had soaked through their hair and it dampened their clothes.
But even the cold and the wind and the drizzle
Couldn’t make this first Santacon event fizzle.
To Riverhead they came, from near and from far.
They walked and they rode and they traveled by car.
They dressed in white beards or in red, festive caps.
Along with an elf or a reindeer, perhaps.
They came for the food and they came for the beer.
Some said they were there to spread holiday cheer.
One said he was looking for his Mrs. Claus.
But all said the parties were for a good cause.
You see Santacon wasn’t just all about drinks
or the laughing, the dancing, or crazy high jinx.
The money the Santas spent during the crawl
went to Brendan House, who do need it all.
It’s a home for those who have injured their heads.
They can live there in comfort in nice, peaceful beds.
The house still hasn’t quite opened up yet.
But with money from this, now they won’t have to fret.
Though Riverhead had never seen one before
Each year, Santacons are held from shore to shore.
New York City plays host to a big one each year.
But locals in town said they’d rather be here.
“It’s just so much better!” one Santa exclaimed.
It felt much more cozy, more nice, she explained.
Another said she had come in here to visit.
“It’s like a parade, but everyone’s in it.”
Old friends met in restaurants all down the street
where they could relax and grab a bite to eat.
A bartender, Rose, said the crowd there was big.
She said the event was a pretty sweet gig.
The rain wasn’t fun, but still even so
Rose said, “you get to see everyone you know. ”
The bars had hung festive lights, snowflakes and bells.
At Joe’s Garage, Suffolk Theater and Digger O’Dells.
A number of other big restaurants too
were on top of the list of where Santas went through.
The pub crawl had started at three, on the dot.
And by 4 p.m., revelers filled up the lot.
The bars were all crowded with bright, happy faces.
Sharing a cold drink or sharing their embraces.
For Riverhead Town, ’twas a pretty cool sight.
A good way to spend a Decembery night.
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