Santa and Mrs. Claus spread joy at Niwot Holiday Market

The Niwot Holiday Market wrapped up Saturday, Dec. 14, after spreading holiday cheer to the business district of Niwot. One of highlights every year is the opportunity for younger Niwot residents to meet with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Santa and Mrs. Claus have been attending the Niwot Holiday Market since at least 2016. With Christmas only being one day a year, it is rumored that Mr. and Mrs. Claus have day jobs as well.

Kim King, who closely resembles Mrs. Claus, works as an insurance broker. Her husband, Don King, has an uncanny resemblance to Santa, and is a retired math teacher. This year they participated in the Niwot tree lighting on Nov. 29, the parade on Nov. 30, and two Saturday meet-and-greets at Niwot Hall Dec. 7 and Dec. 14.

Kim said that Santa was in the workshop and unavailable to comment, but he always loves this time of year. Kim said, "We have been Santa and Mrs. Claus for 23 years and got started working at St. Nick's Christmas and Collectibles in Littleton. Eventually we started growing with our performances and started doing events through word of mouth at other places aside from St. Nick's, but we still go back twice a year."

Kim shared one of the many experiences that show the importance of Santa and Mrs. Claus. "One of our first years, we had a baby who I got to hold and see the first few years of her life. They couldn't make it to our events when she was three, so we ended up popping in for their holiday house party. The baby is now in her second year of college and we still pop by their house for that party every year. It has just been amazing the kind of connections we have been able to make."

For the Kings, being Santa and Mrs. Claus is more than just a job. Kim said, "This is our heart, especially mine. This morning, I went to a women's shelter where Santa doesn't go and it's really a great opportunity to make them feel as special as they are."

She continued, "I really enjoy reading stories to people, because how many adults get a story read to them? It's fun for Mrs. Claus to find lesser known Christmas stories to share with others. One of my favorites for little children is imagining Santa getting tired of his old red suit and envisioning himself in different color outfits like pink or green. It's really quite cute!"

The Kings are not alone in their endeavor to spread Christmas cheer. They are members of the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas (IBRBS). Kim said, "There are about 75 Santas in the area that are members of that organization. Every child has their own individual Santa that they get used to seeing, especially if we do the same events year after year. We need younger Santas due to many retiring post COVID. I have actually gone on events with other Santas as their Mrs. Claus to help guide and train."

The Kings try to think about the bigger picture in their roles to allow everyone to feel the magic of the holiday season. Kim said, "We try to encourage mom and dad to get the game console and Santa can bring the game since there is such an inequity sometimes between families. We like to ask, 'What would you like to tell Santa?' instead of 'What would you like for Christmas?'"

However, not every child asks for something physical that Santa can bring. Kim continued, "We have had children ask for mom or dad to get a job or for their parents to stop fighting, and those situations are hard and we can't make any promises, but we can listen to them, support them to the best of our ability, and pray for them."

"I recently told a child, 'You got more freckles this year!' and the little boy got all excited and looked at his mom all wide-eyed and said, 'She knows!' and it's just wonderful to have so many of those experiences add up. Kids and adults all deserve to feel special because they are special. Our job is to make people feel good about themselves, to let them know that their presence is a present."