A Claus For Celebration

TAMPA - Getting Santa's attention was never so easy.

At the 25th annual Santa Fest on Saturday in Ybor City, scores of children wrote the jolly old elf letters, arranged for phone calls from the North Pole and climbed onto the lap of the red-suited toy maker.

Seven-year-old Jackie Springstead wrote Santa Claus a letter at the U.S. Postal Service's booth and stuffed it into an iron mailbox with other messages bound for the North Pole.

"I asked for a Littlest Pet Shop, stuffed animals and Tinker Bell stuff," she said.

Jackie's mother, Melissa Springstead, said the Land O' Lakes family has come to Santa Fest for four years.

"She's going to go sit on his lap next," Springstead said. "We had breakfast with another Santa, too, and so it's been a Santa-filled day."

Mr. Claus took personal gift requests while seated in the courtyard of the Ybor State Museum. Naomi and Bryan Sanchez, ages 4 and 5, of Valrico, said they weren't nervous about sitting on Santa's lap for the first time.

Naomi asked Santa for a variety of dolls - Bratz, Strawberry Shortcake and Minnie Mouse - but she quickly chimed back in with another desire when her brother recited his requests.

"Oh, I want a Game Boy, too," she said.

Centennial Park was made into as much of a winter wonderland as it could be, considering temperatures were in the 80s. Thousands of families enjoyed 14 holiday entertainment acts, including street performers dressed in holiday costumes.

Tampa's parks and recreations department provided a makeshift "ice-skating" rink, two snow slides and a make-and-take holiday ornament workshop.

There was no eggnog or figgy pudding on hand, but food vendors provided the crowds with plenty of hot dogs, lemonade and gyros.

As the festival ended at 4 p.m., the Krewe of Venus Holiday Parade stepped off with more than 60 entries, including colorful floats, marching bands, antique cars and dance troops.