Page 35 of The Santa Claus Con

4:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.

Competition #3: Toy Delivery*

Elimination Announcement

6:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

Food Truck Dinner

Performances by Surprise Artists

Sponsor-led Activities and Games for Attendees

8:30 p.m.–9:50 p.m.

Competition #4: Chimney Climb*

Elimination Announcement

Games for Fans

9:50 p.m.–11:00 p.m.

Midnight Snack

Break

Performances by Surprise Artists

Sponsor-led Activities and Games for Attendees

11:00 p.m.–12:00 a.m.

Competition #5: Milk and Cookies Eating Competition*

Santa of the Year Crowning

*Ticketed event

Chapter 11

NATHAN

15 hours until midnight

Welcome to the Ornament Roll!” Todd’s voice booms over the speakers set up around Wollman Rink in Central Park, where ten giant red ornaments await us. They’re more than six feet in diameter with oversize hooks at the top.

“Santa needs to get on the road, but—uh-oh!—there are a few ornaments in the way,” Todd says dramatically from where he’s skating back and forth on the ice. He’s dressed in a Christmas-string-light-patterned blazer and pants.

Todd explains how we need to clear the path for Santa’s sleigh. In five rounds, with ten Santa Wannabes competing at a time, we’ll push our designated ornament across the rink to the other side and then back again. Unlike Todd and the guest judges, contestants don’t get ice skates or ice cleats or any kind of shoe grips at all. It’s just us and our black leather boots out there.

For liability purposes, the Con has us wearing Santa-hat-covered helmets in case anyone slips, which I’m sure most will. All our times will be recorded, and the twenty-five Santa Wannabes with the worst ones will have to leave the North Pole. Metaphorically speaking.

It’s up to me to not be one of them.

Scarlett and Agent Meyers are parked nearby in a utility truck that looks like one of the camera crews’ vehicles. They have the livestream going, but they’ll also be able to see the event through my eyes with the embedded camera on my Santa jacket button.

Meanwhile, Agent Bird is back at the hotel working with the off-site team gathering intel, watching posts on every contestant’s social media account, and monitoring accessible street cameras.