News Photo by Reagan Voetberg Mrs. Claus and Santa Claus sit in their chairs in Santa’s house in Culligan Plaza on Friday waiting for children to tell them their Christmas wishes.

ALPENA — Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus are making a special visit this Christmas season to see all the good little boys and girls in Alpena.

They will be at Culligan Plaza today from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Jingle Jamboree.

Santa is looking forward to seeing all the kids this year at the plaza and hearing their Christmas wishes. This year, he said kids have video game consoles, Legos, cell phones, dolls, and toy cars on their lists.

If your littles are feeling shy about sitting on Santa’s lap, Mrs. Claus is there to offer comfort.

There are many Northeast Michigan kids on the nice list this year, and Santa’s got the latest technology to see who’s been good.

“I like coming to Alpena,” Santa said. “I ask them if they’ve been good or naughty…I get my cell phone out and I say, well, Santa’s got this new thing, I can look you up.”

Rest assured, this is the real, one-and-only Santa Claus–his beard is as real as they come.

“I’ve had two or three come up and say ‘that ain’t a real beard you know,'” Santa said, demonstrating how some kids have tugged on his beard. For the record, it remained attached to his face.

Santa’s reindeer are in good shape this Christmas to begin delivering toys.

“They’re doing good. We’re keeping them medicined up so they don’t get what they call wasted cow disease,” Santa joked.

Wasted cow disease, also called Chronic Wasting Disease, is an illness that some reindeer can get very sick from that affects their brains.

“Rudolph is getting excited,” Mrs. Claus said.

Even after peak Christmas season, Santa has to make sure his reindeer are in tip-top shape.

“Straighten out the reindeer, take them for rides, get them so they’re not fat,” Santa said.

There are tasks to do even in the off season, like fixing the sleigh. Santa says he likes to tinker when he’s not preparing for Christmas.

“(We) supervise the elves,” Mrs. Claus added.

When asked whether he likes to go to the beach in his free time, Santa said it’s not one of his favorite activities. He much prefers the cold weather of the north pole.

Santa and Mrs. Claus will be in Alpena at 4-7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays at Culligan Plaza every weekend until Christmas day.

Reagan Voetberg can be reached at 989-358-5683 or rvoetberg@TheAlpenaNews.com.