Warm greetings welcome Santa’s arrival in Concord despite blustery conditions

CONCORD, CA (Dec. 15, 2024) — “Oh, the weather outside is frightful,” so goes the opening line of the Dean Martin holiday classic, but that didn’t stop Santa Claus from arriving on time for his annual December sojourn on Saturday, Dec. 14, to Concord via the Buchanan Airport ahead of his big night later this month.

With sirens blaring, Santa, firmly strapped to the top of his Contra Costa Fire Protection District fire engine escort, weaved his way across the airport tarmac to a warm greeting of young and old alike who also braved the blustery and rainy conditions that descended on the area overnight and remained unrelenting through the morning hours.

The appreciation for Santa’s presence continued indoors to the Concord Plaza Hotel as he made his way through the buzz of a waiting throng in the hotel’s atrium. There youngsters could have photos taken with the Big Man, and yet still have one last chance to offer one more whisper of a Christmas wish away from the prying ears of their parents.

In keeping with the U.S. Postal Service motto, actually it’s a Persian mail carrier’s saying dating back nearly 2,500 years, Santa was as good as his word to ensure local children could see him off as he prepares to make his appointed rounds around the Earth to deliver gifts in time for Christmas morning.

David Scholz

David Scholz is back in journalism as a freelance writer and photographer after nearly two decades in education. Prior to moving into teaching in 2000, he worked as a full-time journalist since 1988 for rural community and small daily newspapers in Central Ohio and Northern Nevada, and later in California with The Business Journal in Fresno and dailies in the Bay Area, including The Oakland Tribune and The San Francisco Chronicle. More recently Scholz also worked in an editing, writing, and page layout role with the Rossmoor News.