Just after the Thanksgiving holiday, as happened nearly every year for more than 30 years, hundreds of kids — and maybe a few of their parents — would shout with glee as Santa Claus came to Canandaigua, heading for his perch in Santa’s House at 1 Candy Cane Lane in Commons Park.
Most times, he arrived downtown on a fire truck, although there were times he rode in a boat, a motorcycle and sidecar, or a horse and buggy. More recently, he started his part-time seasonal gig chauffeured aboard a classic car. After the rock-star-like hoopla subsided, the kids would line up, eager to sit and talk with him.
Perhaps the only one happier and more joyful was Santa himself, as portrayed by Donald Dixon for more than 30 years.
Dixon, 75, died Oct. 3, surrounded
by family, with a small, lit Christmas tree and wreath nearby, according to his son, Dan Dixon.
His father played pedal steel guitar and dobro and loved country music. He lived a life of service and love, always emphasizing the importance of voting, not just in national elections. A former Scoutmaster, he participated in Civil War reenactments, and he loved his family, proudly sitting in the audience for Dan’s theater shows at Canandaigua Academy, Dan Dixon said.
But when he donned the Santa hat, classic red coat, red mittens, red pants and black boots — no need for scratchy fake facial hair; he already sported an impressive full white beard and glasses — Dixon embodied the jolly old elf in so many ways.
“I felt like he lived all year long to have that small amount of time or that window where he got to play Santa,” said Dan Dixon, who occasionally served alongside his father as an elf and, in one particularly fun role, a North Pole security guard while Santa worked his magic.
“He was special to me, and I know he was special to the community,” Dan Dixon said. “I think he was one of a kind, and I don’t say that lightly.”
Canandaigua's Santa Claus loved the city
Dixon worked for the city of Canandaigua for 35 years before retiring. He answered a help-wanted ad in the newspaper seeking a part-time Santa, beginning a second career that lasted almost as long as his day job.
His son laughed that Dixon definitely had the belly for the job and eventually grew a beard, although it wasn’t so white at first.
No matter. Many look like Santa. Very few live the part like Santa.
Time helped Dixon look like Santa. But whatever it was inside him got him the job and helped him own it for decades, meeting who knows how many kids over several generations.
Over the years, Dixon received offers to make more money playing Santa elsewhere, but he had a caveat: If the gig conflicted with his hours in Canandaigua, it was a no-go.
Canandaigua was that important to him, his son said.
It showed.
Playing the part of Santa in Canandaigua
Dixon made each visit unforgettable, creating magical memories and making each child he met feel special, said Denise Chaapel, manager of the Downtown Canandaigua Business Improvement District.
“Don brought Santa to life through stories, songs, laughter and genuine joy,” Chaapel said. “He created an experience that families look forward to year after year, and those memories will live on for generations. Our community was truly blessed to have him as our Santa.”
Nanci Bentley said her son, MJ, who inspired the Motion Junction all-abilities playground in the town of Canandaigua, had been visiting Santa since he was 9 months old. MJ, now 15, was diagnosed at 6 months old with Pallister-Killian syndrome and, as a result, has epilepsy, mobility challenges and cognitive delays.
“We never felt too old to go visit Santa because we always felt his welcoming presence,” Bentley said.
She recalled how Dixon, as Santa, once “attended” a family and friends gingerbread party, sharing his magic as only he could — this time via Zoom.
His voice was calming, and his singing filled the family’s hearts with joy, whether online or in person.
“His kindness matched every bit of what Santa is,” Bentley said. “He was a ‘real’ Santa. No matter what, Santa included everyone and brought everyone together. His magic is forever in our hearts.”
Dixon had a knack for getting kids to relax, joking with them, asking questions about school and, above all, encouraging them. Every year, he collected all the letters, lists and pictures they gave him.
Dixon loved kids and the idea of Christmas, his son said.
And parents will appreciate this: He tried not to overpromise.
“He would always say, ‘Now remember. Santa always brings everything that you need, or I try. I try to bring a little bit of what you’d like,’” Dan Dixon said. “He loved the idea of thinking and playing Santa like he was your grandfather.”
In character as Canandaigua's Santa
Maintaining Santa’s character and integrity was important to Dixon. Santa wasn’t a particular color, race, creed or ethnicity, his son said. He was the embodiment of the Christmas spirit of giving and the joy you feel when you are with family.
“He didn’t want people to know Santa was him,” Dan Dixon said. “He wanted to protect the character.”
That doesn’t explain why his father would drive a vehicle adorned with reindeer antlers and a red nose. Or the time he shopped at Walmart wearing a zipped-up Columbia jacket and red hat. His white beard only partially gave him away.
As Dixon related the story to his son: “You’re not going to believe this, but I went to Walmart today and got found out. The kid was like, ‘Hi Santa.’”
“I think that was part of his charm. He was shocked,” Dan Dixon said. “I was like, you’re not really hiding it.”
Canandaigua's Santa: 'To bring joy to someone else is really something'
There was no way Dixon could hide the goodness he exuded, his love of Santa and the Christmas season, or his enthusiasm for the kids.
As Dixon told the Daily Messenger in 2017, on the 25th anniversary of his portrayal of the big guy, this wasn’t a job for him.
“Just the look on people’s faces, to bring joy to someone else is really something,” Dixon told the newspaper.
One aspect of the job saddened him: those last days before Christmas, after the kids had shared their wish lists and Santa’s House was locked up until the following holiday season. Santa, too, cherished the memories as he awaited making new ones.
“But there’s always next year,” Dixon said.
Remembering Canandaigua's Santa
And there will be a next year, although Christmas in Canandaigua will be different without him this year. Someone will have to step in, although good luck to whoever ends up trying to fill Dixon’s Santa boots.
Plans are in the works to pay tribute to him Friday, Nov. 27, in downtown Canandaigua. His loss is hard, and he will be missed. The comfort is knowing how much easier it will be to remember all the Christmas joy he brought.
One way to honor his memory is to do what he did for so many years: show love and kindness while talking with children in Santa’s House or on shopping trips to Walmart, in good weather and bad, making spirits bright for those he encountered.
“My dad would really like his legacy honored by showing love and kindness to one another and keeping the spirit of Christmas alive in their heart all year long,” Dan Dixon said.
Mike Murphy covers Canandaigua and other communities in Ontario County and writes the Eat, Drink and Be Murphy food and drink column. He can be reached at mmurphy@messengerpostmedia.com. Follow him on X at @MPN_MikeMurphy.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Canandaigua's beloved Santa Claus dies at 75. 'He was one of a kind'
