Vintage 53 opening its doors as part of HO HO HO and Wine TO GO event

Families on the Fox and Vintage 53 in St. Charles present HO HO HO and Wine TO GO, described as a safe and socially distanced event featuring a visit with Santa.

It runs from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays through Dec. 23, and adults also will be treated to a favorite bottle of wine to bring home.

The event is the brainchild of two local business owners who wanted to bring the magic of Christmas to families safely this year. HO HO HO and Wine TO GO is hosted by Families on the Fox, a website serving the greater Fox Valley community and visitors with things to do and places to go locally for all ages, along with Vintage 53, a wine-centric bar in downtown St. Charles.

Families can expect Santa to be safely and eagerly awaiting their arrival from inside his frosty snow globe nestled behind the window of Vintage 53, a news release stated. Children are encouraged to bring their wish lists and drop them in Santa’s mailbox.

Vintage 53 owner Mario Grado and Chrissy Somers, owner of Families on the Fox, noticed a need for safe Santa visits in their community.

"Being a community advocate, I heard directly from our audience about their disappointment in not being able to have their children visit Santa this year for various reasons," Somers said in the release. "Either the Santa they wanted to see was all booked up, or they didn't feel comfortable with the options offered, so we worked hard to create a way to keep both Santa and the families safe while also giving the adults a little treat to enjoy after the kids were tucked in bed.”

The pandemic has forced the owner of Vintage 53 to think outside the box.

“Playing the role of Santa was never something I planned on putting on my long list of tasks as a small-business owner, but seeing as my doors have been closed for nine months, I had to think outside the box," Grado said in the release.

Similarly, while Families on the Fox has continued to serve the community throughout the pandemic, the loss of normal operations has posed challenges for meeting the expenses necessary to provide the free resource to their audience.

"I needed to help keep my business afloat, but luckily I have some pretty amazing partners," Somers said. "I approached Mario with this idea and he was 110% on board because he, too, needed to do something to help his business survive. We made sure we carefully thought out every aspect of this event to ensure the safety and enjoyment for all, while also sparking a little bit of laughter and magic with our 'Naughty or Nice Meter.’”

Santa’s visitors have been sharing their experiences.

“This was the perfect way for my kids to visit Santa this year," Tessa Manek, a mom from Geneva and small-business owner in the area, said in the release. "The event was super organized and fast-moving so we didn’t have to wait long. Santa was awesome and Families on the Fox did an amazing job making sure everyone followed safety precautions while still keeping it fun and festive.”

To view available dates and times, visit vintage53.com/Santa. Tickets cost $30 per family and include one bottle of wine to take home.

An additional package option is available to upgrade to a six-pack bottle of wine to stock up for the holiday season.

Vintage 53 is at 162 S. First St. in St. Charles, near the Fox River.