By Paige Lambert
Ask any child and they’ll say Santa’s business is stationed in a North Pole workshop and runs on joy and midnight cookies.
But for Texan Santas, being ole Saint Nick can be a business in its self.
Bruce King, dubbed the Hays County Santa, has maintained his Santa side business since 1990. It began when his own son didn’t recognize him at a school party.
“When I picked him up later he came running out excited that he saw Santa that day,” King said. “And he said, ‘Dad, Santa was here and he had boots just like the ones in your closet.’”
Since then he has served as Santa for multiple places in California and Texas. King moved to San Marcos in 2007 and began serving as the Santa at the Sights and Sounds of Christmas.
When King isn’t wearing his red and white suit, he works at his day job as a realtor in Buda. He said he’s able to maintain both businesses because realty slows to a crawl in December.
“Not too many people are buying houses as Christmas presents,” King said. “Plus I’m pretty well known as Hays County Santa and everyone knows that is what I do.”
He said the Santa gig makes up for slow business since he charges $100 by the hour. It’s typical for him to do two or three gigs in a day.
Many people reach out to King for city, church and business events. Both businesses have done so well that King hasn’t advertised in seven years.
“It’s so much of that (Sights and Sounds) advertisement has helped in building it as well, and my real estate, they play off each other,” King said. “It helps my real estate and it helps my Santa business as well.”
He said it doesn’t take a lot to be Santa, even though years of experience and a full beard help.
“The beard has always been there but I ended up growing a belly as I got older,” King said with a hearty chuckle. “It just takes a big heart, big smile and the attitude of loving and creating joy.”
And while there are always a few “bah humbugs” in a crowd, King said once he puts on the suit, he can make any face light up, even those of adults.
“I get the same twinkling eyes from adults as I do with the kids,” King said. “If I can bring that feeling back to you as an adult that is Santa doing his job right there.”
King also does some pro bono work for places like hospice and hospitals. He said creating moments of joy for kids and adults, not the financial cushion, is why he pursues his favorite hobby.
One of King’s greatest memories is hearing how he put a smile on a hospitalized teen’s face who was in a lot of pain.
“That’s what I want to create, one moment that will escalate into more moments of joy,” King said. “Something to think about that takes you away from whatever pain that is.”
King said he plans to always be Santa, regardless of if it pays to be Santa or not.
“Who would retire from creating magic or light in someone’s life,” King said “It’s a joy to be able to create the joy.”