Jumpstart the holidays at the Westfield Garden State Plaza’s 7th Annual Big Santa Lighting and Holiday Drone Show celebrating the 45-foot giant Santa Claus on Route 17 in Paramus, New Jersey.
and is coming back in 2024
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The event runs from 4:30–7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9, featuring a pre-event DJ and four songs from Real Housewives of New Jersey star and event host Melissa Gorga, who will hit the lights on the iconic Big Santa. The event also features American Idol semifinalist and multi-platinum-selling singer-songwriter David Archuleta.
The festivities include 200 drones choreographed by Sky Elements, lighting up and whizzing around the sky to the backdrop of well-known holiday tunes that feature children’s movies characters like Elsa, Belle, and Ariel.
Santa Claus himself will arrive on top of a Paramus fire truck with the Broadway Youth Ensemble providing choral performances.
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There will also be a number of food trucks, including Shake Shack, Carlitos, and Chick-fil-A, plus retail pop-ups, and prize wheels. Exclusive one-day and week-long discounts roll out at participating stores. See the Westfield Garden State Plaza website for updates and a complete list of discounts.
Last year, more than 10,000 people attended the 6th annual Big Santa celebration, with the Bergen PAC Performing Arts School and the Paramus High School Marching Band.
Event Schedule 2024
Located at the Nordstrom entrance, the event is free to attend. After Big Santa makes his appearance and the drone show is over, everyone is welcome inside the Garden State Plaza for exclusive one-day-only offers.
- 4:30 p.m. – Gates Open
- 5 p.m. – Pre-Show DJ
- 5:30 p.m. – Big Santa Begins!
- 7 p.m. – Event Ends
History of Big Santa
Big Santa reappeared at Garden State Plaza with fanfare and celebration in 2018 as one of the most beloved holiday icons in Bergen County. The 45-foot jumbo Santa Claus made his return three decades after disappearing from the Garden State Plaza landscape in the 1980s.
Despite being slightly smaller than his 51-foot predecessor, the supersized Saint Nick still featured his iconic size 90 boots, leg slung over a chimney emblazoned with the words “Merry Christmas.”
His reappearance revived a tradition that lasted over 20 years before going on indefinite hiatus with the conversion of GSP to an indoor mall with Westfield’s purchase from Macy’s in 1986. Big Santa’s return has allowed community members who grew up with the jolly giant to share their memories with their children and grandchildren.