Welcome to my Web site!

Hello and welcome to the Smoky Mountain Santa website. We are pleased that you dropped by. Be sure to check Santa's photo schedule for this season.

This will be my 22nd season as Santa Claus. I enjoy having the opportunity to talk to children when they visit Santa. Some are laughable, some are sad stories.

I began in 1986 so that we could do Santa photos with our company, "Portraits by Memory Lane."

I have a large following as Santa Claus. Children of all ages have had their photo taken with me. From 3 days old to 99 years young and every age in between.

People from most of the 50 states and other countries have had their photo taken with me at some point over these past 21 years. What makes it humbling is to have so many kids that began having their photo taken with me when they were just months old and now they are out of high school but still come to have a photo taken with “their” Santa.

 In 1989 I was fortunate to be the Official Santa Claus at Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven, Florida.

 In 1990 I began Santa photos in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and have done so each year to the present time.

In 1991,  I became the official Santa Claus in Birmingham, Alabama at the Christmas Village Festival, a very large craft show at the civic center that draws over 50,000 people in just a 5 day span. I have a large number of children who return there each year for their Santa photos.

In 2006, I became the official Santa at Lake Lanier Islands. A beautiful facility with 6 1/2 miles of beautiful Christmas lights and a Holiday Village with Christmas store, food court, Ice skating rink, carnival and 2 big pits where children of all ages can roast marshmellows. And of course me, where you can have your photo taken with Santa by one of the Village staff photographers.

 I have done Santa photos in several daycares, preschools and stores in Georgia and Tennessee, some that I have been doing for most of those 21 years.

 I believe that the customer comes first as far as standing in line with their children to see Santa. I think they deserve the consideration to have Santa talk to their children without Santa taking long breaks. Each child gets the time they deserve. Through the years I have noticed most children only have one special toy in mind to ask Santa to bring them for Christmas. Now, of course, you will have those that bring the entire wish book with them, but the majority of children are happy to tell Santa the one thing they want most. No child has ever gotten down from Santa's lap thinking they were rushed.

Each child if old enough are asked if they know who's birthday it is at Christmas? Why do we celebrate Christmas? I have had kids as young as 2 years old tell me it is Jesus' birthday, but I have had kids as old as 13/14 to not be able to answer that question no matter how I ask it. But before they leave from talking to Santa, they do know why we celebrate Christmas.

 Jesus is the reason for ALL seasons.
 

 Please check the schedule page. I hope you will visit my friend the Easter Bunny
at one of the  locations. I will see you later in the year.
Santa