‘Black Santa’ brings holiday magic to Portland

Frosty Warning: The following story contains sensitive information about Santa Claus. Reader discretion is advised.

You may have visited Santa at a mall when you were a kid. Or maybe you and your kids have a holiday tradition. Did you ever wonder who’s behind the big beard and red hat? Early in December, an unused downtown Portland retail space one block from Pioneer Square was being transformed into a temporary winter wonderland.

In that space, fairy lights sparkle on the walls, cotton ball snow covers the ground, and colorful fake Christmas trees line a pathway underneath an 8-foot-tall inflatable gingerbread arch.

Leroy Barber, 59, is getting ready to transform into the special character that this entire frosty landscape revolves around: Santa Claus. For OPB’s “At Work With” series — where we ask Oregonians about what it’s like to do what they do — we caught up with Barber to get the behind-the-scenes of creating Kriss Kringle’s magic.

Why he’s a Black Santa and not just a Santa

Barber, calling himself “Black Santa PDX,” originally started donning his gay apparel when the Head Start program in his neighborhood needed a Santa. “They wanted a Black Santa. And so I was like, sure, sure, sure, I’ll do it,” Barber said.

He went out and bought the first of many Santa suits. In his first year being a Santa, 75 families showed up to meet with him. The following year, “500 people showed up,” said Barber. Now, it’s a big part of his winter, on top of his day job as a nonprofit executive director. He even partnered with a Portland coffee roaster to make a special Black Santa Dark Roast blend that fundraises for charity, and has a pair of socks with his own Santa face on them.

Barber never thought of Santa as Black when he was growing up. “No, no, no. I never saw a Black Santa — no, ever,” said Barber emphatically. “No, not until I did it myself.”

“We purposely say Black Santa and probably almost two-thirds of the people who come to see Black Santa are either foster or adopted families, or biracial families [for] who the idea of representation is really important to them,” said Barber. “That’s why they specifically come to see this Santa, and I take that pretty seriously.”

“Santa Claus is one of the few things that’s all about joy and fun and happiness and dreaming about what you want — whether you get that or not,” said Barber. “And, then if you see a Santa that represents all that — that looks like you — then the magic, in some instances, becomes practical. To me, it just makes the magical practical.”

Related: This holiday season, demand is up for professional Santas

Mind the lap

While Santas all over the world offer a seat on their laps to visiting kids, Black Santa PDX does photos side-by-side on a bench instead. “I do it a little differently. ... I think the lap thing is just weird,” said Barber, who consulted with his wife on the lap decision. “We could still have the mystery of Santa without the laps.” It also helps him deter any adults that might want to sit on his lap — he’s welcoming to all ages, on the bench.

“And you would be surprised at how many adults with no children come here for pictures and to spend time and write a list to Santa,” said Barber. “It’s pretty amazing.”

How to achieve Santa realness

Among professional Santas, there’s a debate about what the most important elements of the Santa look are. It took a little while for Barber to develop his ensemble, which he describes as “traditionalist” — but with a twist.

“So the first year I just went to one of those party stores and they have all these costumes. I just grabbed one and threw it on,” said Barber. But he upgraded as he started doing more gigs. “I wanted a little bit different look for Black Santa. Now, I have one that is a little bit different style,” said Barber. “A noble ... old English-looking Santa costume. But it’s fun. It’s much better for me. I like it.”

“It’s a little bit less than classic Santa costume, with a cape with gold trim,” said Barber. He is also wearing a white beard, black boots and non-prescription gold costume glasses that he can’t actually see out of. “Kids will hand me lists and I’m [squinting] like, ‘OK, this is what you want?’” laughed Barber.

It’s Barber’s sixth year as Black Santa PDX. Last year, he saw more than 1,600 kids. This year, the slots for a photo with him started filling up in July. He clocks about 40 hours of in-suit time during November and December. Which, he says, isn’t what a red fake fur suit is designed for. “The suits … start to bleed the colors into the white,” complained Barber. “I literally have to buy a suit every year, and sometimes two.”

One year, he tried to dry clean the suit, and it didn’t quite work out as planned. “I come back and all the white is pink, and I did not have a backup suit,” said Barber. “So, if you look at pictures from that year, you’ll see the white is pink.” But because “It’s Portland,” as Barber said, he got a lot of compliments on the pink trim, with people thinking it was intentional.

Related: Inflation has reached the North Pole as a Santa shortage looms

His least favorite thing to wear is the beard — it’s itchy. When he has a mid-gig break, the beard is the first thing he’ll take off (away from little prying eyes).

The underwear situation? Spandex bike pants and a long-sleeved cycling top. They’re a lot easier to wash than the suit.

The most popular toy request

“Lego. No doubt. Since I’ve been doing this, the number one gift requested is Lego. Over and over and over again, every year…Hands down.”

This year, “Barbie’s probably coming in second” said Barber.

Big ask for Santa

“We have actually had a kid ask for a pony. We had one kid that said they specifically wanted a 70-inch flat screen for their room. I look up at their parents, I’m like, ‘OK, you’re pushing Santa here,’” laughed Barber.

Related: Project Salmon Claus delivers Christmas along the Columbia River

The great Claus question

Barber believed in Santa when he was a kid “for a little while.” He started to realize there might be a little more to the story once he found the toys in the family’s garage one year,” he said. But with younger brothers, he didn’t immediately tell his parents he was in on the secret — and got a few more years of presents from Santa.

Barber’s childhood memories of Santa involved lots of imaginative logistics. “Is he really going to drop this sled on our roof? What’s Rudolph? I was way into that.” Even once he put things together, it didn’t dampen his holiday spirit.

“This is still a cool thing,” said Barber. “I’m going to still watch the TV shows and still get into it in the season. My house for my kids growing up had as many lights as possible.”

Barber tries to tap into that magic of Santa with those who are skeptical when visiting Kriss Kringle. “The older kids will come in and they will stand back. And I invite them in. ‘Come on in, like have you been naughty or nice? What do you want? What are you dreaming about? What do you want for Christmas?’” said Barber.

And eventually, even the hesitant visitors — “They get into it,” said Barber.

Even if they don’t “believe” in Santa, Barber said, the most important thing is that there’s still a magical atmosphere and a real connection. “I think there’s a hesitation, ‘Oh, this is not real.’” said Barber. “But the feelings and the conversation and the atmosphere is real. And it brings out stuff in people.”

The sweetest moment as Santa

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Santa PDX thought he wouldn’t be able to keep having photo sessions. But someone found a giant plastic bubble for him to sit in, and he started doing all his photos as Santa sitting in a snow globe. “And it was more magical than I thought,” Barber said.

The sweetest moment? “When I was in the bubble, there was a little girl who came up to the bubble…She puts her hand on the bubble and just leaves it there. And I put mine out and I touch her [through the bubble] and she just loves, just sits in this moment, and it was amazing,” Barber said. “And then I started doing that with everyone, because of her. I started doing that for the next two years in a bubble, and it was fantastic.”

Related: As climate warms, that perfect Christmas tree may depend on growers’ ability to adapt

Why we need Santa now

Barber says that the magic of Santa is needed now more than ever. “I get two minutes with a kid to just [have] full attention on them,” Barber said. “Let their minds wander and wonder about who Santa Claus is and what they want for Christmas and all these kinds of things. I think the kids sink into that for a few minutes. I think the world just wants that right now.”

Santa’s future plans

“On Dec. 26, I’m going to Miami. That’s how I’m going to recover from this season.”

Mia Estrada, Lillian Karabaic and Sage Van Wing produced and edited this interview for broadcast. Lillian Karabaic and Winston Szeto adapted it for the web.