North Pole Holiday Magic
Only in North Pole, Alaska does the holiday season kick-off by lighting a giant frozen turkey sculpture. The ice-sculpture bird will be illuminated on Thanksgiving Day to officially start the second annual “North Pole Christmas in Ice” festival and sculpting competition. Last year’s event welcomed 24 ice artists from Alaska and China dueling to carve the winning Christmas-themed sculpture from a single block of ice. This holiday season, ice artists will again transform the venue at Santa Land RV Park in North Pole into a winter wonderland of ice sculptures and children’s play park. The competitors will face-off Thursday, December 4, and the venue will be open to the public every day until the end of the month.
Tired of wondering if Santa received your wish list? Since 1952 elves at the Santa Claus House in North Pole have mailed out more than a million letters from Santa to children all over the world. Available in eight languages, each personalized letter is mailed directly from Santa Claus House and features a genuine North Pole postmark and “Santa’s Official Mail” seal. Letters also include a keepsake photo of Santa and Mrs. Claus and an official sticker proclaiming the bearer to be on “Santa’s Good List” (pending approval of course). Tech-savvy kids can even e-mail Santa directly at santa@santaclaushouse.com. Letters received by the Santa Claus House may be selected and posted online at www.kidssantaletters.com.
Holiday enthusiasts who wait tirelessly for the newest reindeer sweaters to hit the racks don’t need to look any farther. The Santa Claus House is open 12 months a year and is a must-stop when traveling through Interior Alaska. Pick out classic collectables, North Pole apparel, “Made in Alaska” treats or just get a head start on those impossible-to-shop-for family and friends. For an added flair, have your gift shipped directly from Santa himself (or from you) for Christmas, birthdays or any time of year.
For more information on traveling to North Pole, Alaska, visit http://www.travelalaska.com/Regions/CommunityDetail.aspx?LocationID=54
