BATON ROUGE – “Running of the Santas,” which bills itself as the largest Christmas event in the country, announced plans to host an inaugural event in Baton Rouge on Saturday, December 5.

“Running of the Santas” will kick off at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 5, from the “South Pole” located at the Draft House at 421 3^rd Street. At 5:45 p.m., Santa and his friends will run to the “North Pole” located at the Roux House at 143 3^rd Street.

Participants of the “Running of the Santas” are asked to wear festive holiday costumes and enjoy tasty holiday drink specials, savory food and lively music. One lucky attendee will receive a “Best Holiday Costume” award.

The event started in 1998 in Philadelphia when 40 friends decided to suit up in holiday costumes and go bar hopping. Since 1998 the event has been hosted in over 20 cities from California to New Zealand. “Running of the Santas” has 10,000 participants in Philadelphia and over 3,000 participants in New Orleans each year.

Tickets to the event are now available online at www.runningofthesantas.com and at the Roux House in Baton Rouge. Advanced tickets are $20 and VIP tickets are $75. 

A portion of the event’s proceeds will benefit “That Others May Live Foundation.” The foundation provides scholarships, family counseling and aid to surviving children of the United States Air Force Rescue Heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice during a rescue mission.