That Santa Claus you saw at a Peoria Chiefs game last July looks a lot like the one waving to the crowds in the Pekin Winter Wonderland Parade and Festival of Lights Parade. Could he also be the Santa at the Pekin Boat Club, the Marquette Heights Fire Department and the Hope Chest’s annual toy drive?

It could be and it is! Through the magic of Christmas (and multiple costume changes) all of those Santas are the one and only Scott Parker. Scott is a professional Santa whose snowy white beard is real and whose one-of-a-kind portrayal of the jolly old elf makes him a holiday favorite throughout the area.

Santa Parker (his professional name) has been portraying Mr. Claus for 12 years, first in Texas and for the past four years here in Central Illinois. You will find him at corporate events and private parties, parades and community celebrations, in stores and in photography studios. You can even arrange a private online chat session now that the internet has come to the North Pole. 

Actually, Scott has never been to the North Pole, but he is no stranger to this region. Born and raised in Marquette Heights, he graduated from Pekin High School in 1987. He currently lives in Marquette Heights in the same house he grew up in.

Life took Scott to Texas for about 30 years, where he worked in retail, raised horses, and built high performance cars. That may not seem like a career path that would lead someone to adopt a holiday persona. In fact, the transformation may never have happened if not for a friend who asked Scott to be Santa at her shop in Texas.

He said she nudged, and he resisted. She encouraged, and he hesitated. In the end, he said yes. When he donned the red suit and saw the pure joy on children’s faces, there was no turning back.

Scott soon learned what it takes to be Santa Clause: “It takes a Santa heart. You have to have patience, you have to have a love of children, you have to have the ability to listen and be able to be on their level.”

He wears a gold Mickey Mouse watch as a way of gaining children’s trust. Scott said when he sees Mickey or Minnie on a child’s jacket or hat, he will ask, “Did you know Santa is a friend of Mickey Mouse? Just look at this beautiful watch he gave me for Christmas.” In the child’s mind, any friend of Mickey can’t be bad.

“Things like that break down barriers so you can talk to them,” said Scott.

He added that, for 90 percent of kids, seeing Santa is pure joy. But there are those who are just a little afraid of the big, bearded man in a funny suit. His skill and experience help him bring out the holiday spirit in those kids. 

“They know Santa brings presents on Christmas morning and they are all about the presents,” he chuckled.

Being a good Santa — one who is as popular and in demand as Scott by Parker — takes time and training. There are even Santa schools all over the country that train hundreds of aspiring Santas every year. They also keep a close-knit network of support and sharing that allows Santas to learn from each other.

Scott said being Santa is more than just a red outfit and a rotund physique. “You really have to be on your toes with kids today.” He said some skeptical kids want to play 20 questions to prove that he is not the “real Santa.”

“They will say things like, ‘If you’re the real Santa, what’s my address?’ I tell them it’s 77544 or something like that. ‘That’s not it,’ the kid will say. ‘I live at 21 Oak Street!’ But I tell them I don’t know that address because I only see the rooftops, and in my system, his house number is 77544.”

He said they don’t always buy his story, but at least he gets the kid talking. He has also become a master of what he calls Santa Dad Jokes with punch lines like “Olive the other reindeer.” (Followed by a smile and a groan.)

Scott also points out that kids today have Google and the internet, so he must be ready to answer all kinds of questions.

“Santa has to do his homework and stay a step ahead of them all the time,” he said.

When he is not wearing his Santa suit and communicating with a hearty “Ho! Ho! Ho!” Scott works at American Rental in Morton. He praises his employer for letting him do his “Santa stuff” and working around his hectic holiday schedule. 

On one level, being Santa is a business. Scott charges a fee for most gigs, which helps pay for his wardrobe of eight different suits, six vests, four shirts, a giant belt buckle and two pairs of red-rimmed spectacles. Every client can order up the Santa style they want, from a traditional look to the Coca Cola Santa.

To protect children, Santas must undergo a background check. One national retailer even requires that Santa carry liability insurance.

“That’s just the world we live in,” he said.

When working with photographers in a mall or studio setting, he said the goal is to help the photographer get as many irresistible photos as possible. It takes all of his Santa wit, charm, and holiday spirit to make sure that happens. 

“It’s a business,” he confessed. “But I do it for the kids.”

Scott also books engagements that are either pro bono or at a dramatically reduced fee. His appearances at the Hope Chest in Pekin, Laramie Baptist Church in Marquette Heights, East Peoria Methodist Church, Marquette Heights Elementary School, and St. Mark’s Preschool in Washington, fall into that category.

This will be Santa Parker’s third year aboard the highly anticipated 40th (and final) float in the Festival of Lights Parade. Even though he grew up in the area he never saw the parade until 2021. He introduced himself to the organizers at the same time the festival’s long time Santa was retiring. His arrival is now a highlight of the parade. You can also catch Santa Parker collecting letters to Santa at the entrance of the Festival of Lights Winter Wonderland.

Of the estimated 5,000 to 8,000 professional Santas in the United States, only Santa Parker has the privilege of saying he is from the Pekin area. Check out his schedule for the rest of the month, pictures, client testimonials, videos, and more at santabyparker.com or facebook.com/santabyparker.