After 13 years, Crabtree mall’s Santa has a new home. Where to find him now
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- AmuseMatte moved its long-running Santa operation from Crabtree mall to North Hills.
- North Hills pop-up offers an immersive photo experience; walk-ins, reservations accepted.
- Families can meet and take photos with a different Santa at Crabtree this year.
For years, many Triangle families have flocked to Crabtree Valley Mall around the holidays to pose for photos with Santa.
This season, visitors to the Raleigh mall will still find a Santa — just not the same white-bearded Mr. Claus they’ve seen for the past 13 years.
AmuseMatte, which operated the photos with Santa pop-up at Crabtree for 17 years, is now running Santa Town at North Hills. And the jolly fellow who was at Crabtree for the past 13 of those years is now greeting families in the old Lululemon space at North Hills, next to Total Wine.
The location change was spurred by a real estate transaction, Michael Bordeleau, AmuseMatte’s president and CEO, told The News & Observer in a phone interview.
During California-based AmuseMatte’s nearly two-decade run at Crabtree, the mall was under multiple different owners. Macerich, which purchased Crabtree earlier this year, has an agreement with AmuseMatte’s competitor, Bordeleau said.
When AmuseMatte left Crabtree, Santa left, too.
Photos with Santa at North Hills
But the change in venue wasn’t wholly a result of Crabtree’s latest ownership change. AmuseMatte has been wanting to adjust its photos with Santa experience in Raleigh for years, Bordeleau said. The company transitioned to activity-filled pop-ups at malls in North Texas and Southern California seven years ago.
Instead of standing in lines and waiting to sit with Santa for a photo, AmuseMatte’s Santa Town offers a more immersive experience. The space is decorated to resemble a Christmas village, with multiple backdrops for photos. Plus, there’s a dedicated North Pole post office, where kids can write and mail letters to Santa.
“We couldn’t have been happier to create an agreement with North Hills,” he said.
It’s not unusual for AmuseMatte, which offers seasonal photos with Santa at about 50 properties across the country, to continue working with the same red-suited gentleman for many years, Bordeleau said.
“The children know that that’s their Santa. I mean, that’s Santa,” Bordeleau said. “If they see somebody else at a different property or out in the street or whatever, those people are Santa’s helpers. But the Santa they go to is the real Santa.”
Santa is available for photos — including photos with pets — through Wednesday, Dec. 24 at North Hills. Walk-ins are accepted, but reservations are recommended and can be made at northhillssanta.com. A digital download of four images costs about $46.
Take photos with Santa at Crabtree
Families can meet and take photos with a different Santa at Crabtree through Dec. 24.
The red-suited man has set up shop at Center Court on the lower level. Look for the 30-foot Christmas tree.
Walk-ins are accepted, but reservations can be booked online at shopcrabtree.com. Photo packages start at $40. Monday, Dec. 8 is the last opportunity to bring pets to take a photo with Santa.
Crabtree has also brought back its limited-time A Christmas To Remember and See’s Candies stores, plus a seasonal Toys “R” Us Holiday Shop, Rachel Ricksecker, general manager of Crabtree, said in an emailed statement.
