Medina native Christopher Parada inducted into Santa Claus Hall of Fame

Parada portrays Santa to 10,000 people each year in Lockport at Christmas Cottage

File photos by Tom Rivers: Christopher Parada portrays Santa in December 2018 and greets a young girl at the Christmas Cottage, a site he designed and built with his father in 2010 at a park in Lockport.

LOCKPORT – Medina native Christopher Parada, who portrays Santa each year to about 10,000 people at the Christmas Cottage in Lockport, has been inducted in the Santa Claus Hall of Fame.

Parada, a 2002 Medina High School graduate, built the Christmas Cottage in 2010 with assistance from his father, Daniel Parada. The 15-by-15-foot cottage is at Day Road Park in the Town of Lockport.

Parada has a tribute set up in the building for the late Charles W. Howard, founder of the Santa School in Albion from 1937 to 1966.

Howard was in the charter class of the Santa Claus Hall of Fame in 2010.

Parada’s induction was announced today by the Hall of Fame. Click here to see the group’s website which shows all of the inductees since 2010.

The Hall of Fame states the following about Parada:

Photo from Santa Claus Hall of Fame: Christopher Parada gives a very convincing portrayal of Santa.

“Christopher is a true renaissance man in the entertainment industry, directing and producing theatrical productions as the Executive Director of the Historic Palace Theatre for over 20 years.

“In 2010, he founded, built, and created the Santa Claus Christmas Cottage in Lockport, New York. This enchanting destination allows families to visit Santa Claus each Christmas season at no cost. Each year, over 10,000 visitors come to experience the magic of the holiday spirit in this special place. Christopher’s work and dedication has made a lasting impact on the community, bringing joy and festive cheer to families during the most wonderful time of the year, creating ‘Community Togetherness.’

“Growing up just a stone’s throw away from the historic and prestigious Santa Claus school in Albion, New York, Chris was surrounded by the magical world of Santa Claus from a young age. The stories, the spirit of giving, and the joyful atmosphere filled his childhood with wonder. However, it was the theatrical design of the iconic Santa Suit that truly captured his heart.

“Chris honors this cherished tradition by creating historic department store Santa Claus Suits, ensuring that the magic of ‘Nostalgic & New’ continues to delight generations.”

Parada first portrayed Santa in high school. When he was a teen he learned about Charles Howard. Parada learned about the local community’s connection to Howard from his late grandmother, Elaine Janele, who was the children’s librarian at the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina. She created the Santa Claus story hour at the library.

“It intrigued me so much when I found out about this school,” Parada said in a previous interview with the Orleans Hub.

Parada has a Howard suit on display, and black-and-white photos from when LIFE magazine visited the school in Albion in 1961. He has other merchandise, including an admission ticket to Christmas Park, a “Family Funderland.”

“I wanted there to be a connection to where the spark came from, where it all started,” Parada said. “For Albion to be home to the Santa Claus School is a really cool thing.”

He has visited the school, which is now in Midland, Mich. He follows the principles taught by Howard for Santas with how he acts and looks. Parada also plays the role for free at the cottage. He accepts donations which he uses for landscaping at the site and for materials.

Parada wears a suit in the style designed by Howard. The suit is made of wool – not velvet or plush. He has a white shawl collar that is about 6 inches wide all the way around, and has a yarn pom pom tassel on the hat. His beard and wig are made of yak hair, which can be styled with a curling iron.

He also followed Howard’s example with a shiny leather belt with a big silver buckle.

When Parada decided to build a Christmas Cottage, he scouted sites in Lockport. He liked the spot at the town park, next to a big parking lot. The park is popular with its playground, soccer field and other amenities.

Parada had a feeling the cottage would be a hit, especially if it was free for families. He saw Santas in the malls where there was a hefty charge for a photo and the Santas didn’t seem to engage with the children.

“In the mall it’s a nightmare,” he said in the previous interview. “People tell me this is so much better than the mall.”

Parada wanted to create a site where people would feel like they’re going into a storybook.

“Santa and Christmas are fun,” he said. “It’s exciting, it’s happiness. The world needs more of that.”

Parada is the fourth Orleans County person in the Santa Claus Hall of Fame. Besides him and Howard, the Hall of Fame inducted Santa Suit maker Elizabeth Babcock in 2019, and George Cond in 2016. Cond was hand-picked by Howard to be the Santa at Christmas Park in Albion.

A Charles Howard suit is on display in the Christmas Cottage, as well as information about Elizabeth Babcock, who made the Santa suits.