As the fall 2024 semester came to a close last month, one student-run tradition in particular made waves among town residents, parents and others: the annual SantaCon event at Fairfield Beach. Concerns include the safety of attendees, environmental impacts and the total cost for the town: $37,605.80.
The event, a favorite among many students, has been the cause of controversy in recent years. Trash on the beach and the safety of those at the event have been ongoing concerns for residents.
According to the Connecticut Post, the town of Fairfield hired legal counsel ahead of 2024’s SantaCon and increased the number of police officers present by 50 percent. Fairfield Beach Resident Association president Lucas Scholhamer told The Mirror in December that students At SantaCon may face legal consequences.
“Connecticut has laws that can hold hosts criminally liable (fines and jail time) for hosting underage drinking parties,” Scholhamer said. “If you’re an underclassman, know that you’re putting your senior friends at risk of jail time when you show up with alcohol.”
Now, several weeks after SantaCon, which took place on Dec. 7, town officials are hearing from Fairfield locals and thinking about how to prepare for this coming December. Although the event has come and gone for students, it’s still on the minds of some in town.
In an email sent to residents of Fairfield on Dec. 19, 2024, almost two weeks after the beach gathering took place, First Selectman Bill Gerber provided new information and answered frequently asked questions about SantaCon. One notable fact was the number of people who attended the event.
“Recent geofencing data indicates that SantaCon drew approximately 20,000 people to the area, extending from the high tide line to Reef Road,” Gerber wrote.
The Mirror was not able to independently confirm the data touted by Gerber.
The message began by telling residents about some of the basics of SantaCon and then outlined “several potential risks” to the town and its residents, a list that included environmental damage and strain on law enforcement.
Gerber also emphasized that police on the beach could not issue tickets for each violation. Instead, they had to focus on crowd control due to the large number of attendees.
“Many more arrests could have been made; instead, emergency services were trying to contend with a large number of young people suffering from alcohol poisoning, including vomiting and falling unconscious, requiring medical transport and treatment,” Gerber wrote.
The Mirror reached out to Gerber and Town of Fairfield communications director Lisa Chair. The response stated: “SantaCon is an ongoing investigation so there’s nothing we can share at this time.”
The email sent to town residents included key numbers pertaining to the impacts of the event. There were 22 medical calls to emergency services and 18 transports to the hospital. The cost for the town totaled $37,605.80, including $19,971.05 for the police department.
Residents were asked to share photos and videos of the events and to send their personal experiences with SantaCon to the first selectman. Although The Mirror did not receive answers about the results of this request, some residents took to Facebook back in December to publicly share their thoughts.
On a Dec. 7 post by the popular Fairfield HamletHub page, member Helene Daly commented, “I talked to so many groups today in town. They were so fun and so happy. And respectful.”
Emily Hau said, “Looked like fun. Being a college town makes Fairfield special.”
Others expressed their frustrations with the event, with resident Tory Waterman saying, “How does the town and university let this happen? It’s ridiculous and the residents should not have to deal with drunken college kids taking over our beach community! Let them host on the college campus!”
A comment by member Melissa Elizabeth read, “This shouldn’t be the same day as the Tree Lighting!!” in reference to the Town Tree and Menorah Lighting event that took place in town on the same day, overlapping with SantaCon.
One “frequently asked question” in Gerber’s email addressed the concern among parents in town that “it was very scary for young children to be out in the middle of SantaCon.”
“The Town does not sanction or plan SantaCon,” he said. “Students do not report the date to any Town department, so we have to resort to monitoring social media to try to verify the date for the event so we can institute pre-planning and safety measures. Parks and Recreation makes their plan for the Tree and Menorah Lighting months in advance. It was [a] coincidence that they occurred simultaneously, and out of the Town’s control.”
There’s little doubt that Fairfield SantaCon will continue to take place annually. Regarding the 2025 event, Gerber wrote that “The Town has engaged legal representation and will pursue every lawful avenue to protect public safety and private property.” It remains to be seen how exactly the town will react to future large gatherings, but Gerber maintains that mitigating damage and health-related incidents will remain a priority.
Leave a Reply