Santa's setup at Park Place Mall. (Supplied by Manisha Opinko)

By David Opinko

“Sensory Santa” coming to Park Place Mall for those with sensory disabilities

Nov 18, 2019 | 5:00 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Getting to sit on Santa’s lap is the dream for most kids, but for some, the whole experience can be overwhelming.

That is why Park Place Mall is welcoming Sensory Santa on Sunday, November 24th.

Marketing Manager Jarod Neithercut says they worked with the Chinook Autism Society to see how they can have those with sensory disabilities be able to enjoy meeting Kris Kringle.

It will take place before the mall opens that day and will be by appointment only.

This means they will not have to deal with large crowds nor the busyness of the mall during the holiday shopping season.

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Neithercut explains some of the other considerations they have made.

“The lights won’t be an issue just because of the time of day and everything. The flash from pictures isn’t going to be a thing – we’re going to make it work without and digital cameras these days have some pretty amazing settings. That’s a big part of it. The music will be turned down and it’ll be a lot quieter in there.”

After they announced that Sensory Santa will be coming, it took only 24 hours for all of the 40 spots will fill up. However, Neithercut says you can still email him to be put on a waiting list in case anyone cannot make it.

“We’ve already had an amazing response from shoppers and the general public. We’ve got people coming from over an hour away for this event, and it’s interesting because it’s not something we’ve had a lot of requests for in the past.”

The extended Sunday hours for the holiday season started on November 17th, meaning Park Place Mall will be open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm until Christmas.

On November 24th to accommodate for Sensory Santa, it will open at noon with photos being taken between 8:30 am and 12:00 pm.

To register to meet Sensory Santa, you can email Jarod Neithercut at JNeithercut@primarisreit.com