Starting next week, Santa Claus will join Riverside Fire Department crews to spread cheer citywide, riding aboard a fire engine and making periodic stops to take photos with kids and distribute candy.
The 28th annual “Santa Ride-A-Long” is set to get underway at 6 p.m. Tuesday, running for two hours. It will continue nightly during the same hours Wednesday and Thursday, and then resume from Dec. 15 to 18, ending at a different park each night.
Firefighters Association Local 1067 organizes the events every December, with the goal of taking Old St. Nick to every corner of the city.
“The fire engine will travel slowly through the neighborhoods with lights and occasional siren bursts, stopping at select locations to hand out candy canes,” Battalion Chief Bruce Vanderhorst said. “Fire engines will remain in service, and `Santa’ will accompany firefighters if an emergency arises.”
Occasionally, Santa will be in the engineer’s seat, and other times atop the fire engine, waving as he and the crews make their rounds in the decorated fire apparatus.
A complete list of the parks at which Kris Kringle will be stopping can be found at www.riversideca.gov/media-press-release/fire.
Organizers said that Santa is expected to provide about 4,000 candy canes.