This year’s SantaCon (also known as “The Red Scourge” by some) kicked off this morning, this year starting from Tompkins Square Park to the delight of many. While the west side is mostly safe from it all today, if you look hard enough you might run across a few (lost? confused? on their way to the main event?) “Santas”, like these groups near 53^rd & 9^th:

Considering last year’s started over by the Intrepid (picture here), this year is basically a non-​event for the neighborhood. Cue sighs of relief.