Business & Tech

Meet Santa Claus at South Hills Village Mall

Holiday magic is returning to South Hills Village as the Santa Photo Experience opened to greet children with their wish lists.

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, it might be time to make a visit to  South Hills Village and let Santa know what's on your wish list.

Children can be photographed with Santa weekdays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Lower Level North Court. Click here for the specific dates and times during the season.

“There is always a great deal of entertainment and fun at Simon malls during the holiday season but the Santa Photo Experience is something generations of families count on every year,” said Jennifer Carroll, South Hills Village Director of Marketing and Business Development.

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ABC Family is sponsoring the event for the eighth consecutive year.

Another sense will be engaged this holiday season as Simon is teaming up with ScentSicles® scented ornaments to fragrance South Hills Village’s Santa Photo Experience with the aroma of Douglas Fir to create an authentic Christmas experience.

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“ScentSicles capture the true-to-life fragrance of a freshly cut Christmas tree, making it feel like Christmas—just like a visit with Santa does,” said Nick McKay, CEO of EnviroScent, Inc., the company behind ScentSicles. “Our sense of smell is extremely powerful as it links directly to childhood memories.”

Returning again this season is the "Cutest Santa Photo Contest," designed to find the most adorable kids and pets. The "Cutest Santa Photo Contest" will be hosted on the South Hills Village Facebook page. It’s easy—simply post your favorite kid or pet photo with Santa on the Santa Photo App on the South Hills Village Facebook page, to be available from early November through mid-December. A copy of the official contest rules will be available on the Santa Photo App or at Guest Services at South Hills Village.

The cutest kid Grand Prize winner gets a visit at their home from Santa in a horse drawn carriage before Christmas Eve, with a sleigh full of prizes including $1,200 in Gymboree clothing, $250 in toys and a $250 Simon Giftcard as well as an all-inclusive trip for a family of four to Club Med Sandpiper resort in Port St. Lucie, FL which includes air transportation and rental car valued at more than $8,300. 

Simon Property Group will also award the pet winner a $250 Simon Giftcard as well as an all inclusive trip for a family of four to Club Med Sandpiper resort in Port St. Lucie, FL which includes air transportation and rental car valued at more than $6,850. Ten additional all-inclusive trips for a family of four to Club Med Sandpiper resort in St. Lucie, FL including air transportation and rental car valued at more than $6,600 will be given away to runner-ups in each category.

The Noerr Programs, operators of the Santa Photo Experience at South Hills Village, is sharing the heart of Santa online this holiday season, through the following programs:

  •      In addition, parents can reinforce Santa’s spirit of goodwill with their children, either by clicking on the BeMerrySanta page on Facebook, or www.bemerrysanta.com. In just a few moments, parents can input their child’s good deed into Santa’s Magical Badge Generator. Parents can print out their child’s customized badge, or show it to Santa on a smartphone or tablet during their visit to Noerr’s Santa Photo Experience at South Hills Village, where Santa will congratulate and reward them with BeMerry! stickers and special offers.
  •      Guests to every Noerr set will have the opportunity to share Santa’s spirit of generosity by making a donation via The Noerr Programs to U.S. rural children in need through Save the Children, a 75-year-old non-profit organization To create even more magic for donors, The Noerr Programs will offer a chance for a lucky family of four to win a trip to America’s Capitol, Washington D.C.

Caring Santa is a special event dedicated to families that have children with special needs, providing a subdued environment to visit The Santa Photo Experience. Many steps are taken to reduce sensory triggers, creating a more comforting environment for their magical visit with Santa.

The Caring Santa event at South Hills Village will be held on Sunday, Dec. 2, from 9 - 10:30 am in the Lower Level North Court. The program is guided by AbilityPath, an online support organization serving the special needs community for over 90 years.


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