Santa visits return at the Coastal Grand Mall with safety precautions in place

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) — Santa Claus has come to town and he’ll be at the Coastal Grand Mall in Myrtle Beach from now until Christmas Eve, with safety precautions in place.

The big difference this year is that Santa is in a separate room next to the food court instead of in his normal location.

“Normally it is in our center court, we have downsized our set but still created a joyous, memorable experience,” said Jessica Kirkman, the marketing director for the Coastal Grand Mall.

Another difference is kids will not be allowed to sit on Santa’s lap. Instead they’ll be seated 6 feet away from him.

“You still can see Santa, Santa can hear and see you, you’re not behind a plexiglass so you still can have that intimate opportunity to visit Santa and talk with him,” Kirkman said.

Santa, the employees and all guests are required to wear a face covering.

“We have sanitizing stations located at the entrance and exit of the Santa, we required guests to make a reservation prior to their visit,” Kirkman said.

Walk-ins will be available for the first and last hour of the day, but reservations are encouraged.

“We are of course not going to turn a child away if they want to see Santa, it’s kind of just to keep the flow going regularly as well as making sure social distancing is in place,” Kirkman said.

Santa’s hours are from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Information on special hours can be found here.

For those who still want to visit Santa but not in person, the Coastal Grand Mall has a virtual Santa experience for children online. That link can be found here.

To make a reservation with Santa, visit the Coastal Grand Mall’s website here.