Andy Farr hitting the weights to maintain his Santa physique.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY ANDY FARR
When you hear the name Santa Claus, you may think of the jolly old man with a big belly full of milk and cookies. But that’s not this Santa. Andy Farr is a professional “buff” Santa Claus.
Prior to moving to Palm Springs in 2021, Farr was living the retired life in Denver, Colorado. He first stepped into the red suit when the character actor that he and his neighborhood association hired for a holiday event canceled last-minute because he caught chickenpox. In a pinch, Farr took his place. “I did have a beard,” he says, letting out a predictably jolly laugh. “But let’s just say it was artificially tinted.”
Farr rushed to Target to buy an inexpensive Santa suit. And to his surprise, he returned with a budding new passion.
Farr poses in his Santa suit.
The retired air traffic controller decided to grow out his beard and lean into the festive identity — within a few months, people started calling him Santa. A friend joked that he should go to Santa school, prompting Farr to consider his future: If he was going to be Santa for real, he was going to have to take the job seriously. He enrolled at a Santa school in Michigan. Reflecting on the experience, Farr values the community and camaraderie that he got to share with so many other North Pole enthusiasts. “It’s considered the biggest collection of Santa Clauses,” he says, pointing to attendance numbers of some 300 to 400 Santas, who gather together in one building.
Farr graduated from two programs: the C.W. Howard Santa School and the Christmas Workshop. The curriculum taught him not only how to be a Santa, but also how to find his own style and run a business.
He earned the nickname Buff Santa while he was in Santa school. After class, he frequently hit the gym, and people started to crack jokes about it with him. Farr put the moniker to use to proselytize health and wellness within the Santa community, acknowledging that he sees a “big problem” with weight and related health concerns among its members. In the Santa Facebook page that Farr joined, he says many Mr. and Mrs. Clauses post about the medication they’re taking. “I like to tell them, ‘We want to keep you around as Santa Claus for as many years as we can,’ ” so he encourages clean eating and exercise.
A merry moment.
Aside from promoting health and wellness, Farr aims to be a Santa “for everyone.” He serves clients with special needs, of different faiths, and in diverse communities and takes pride in “winning the trust of even the ‘toughest client.’ ” He sees Santa’s root purpose as making folks smile and feel understood, so, Farr says, he makes it a point to be accepting and welcoming to everyone. “Some families have two moms, some families have two dads, and some families have a child who’s trying to sort out who they are. If you’re receptive to that, it’s the biggest gift you can give them.”
Overall, he enjoys being Santa Claus because it’s a great way to donate time and help people feel better. He has served Greater Palm Springs since 2021. For more information, or to book Farr for an event, visit santa-on-the-go.com.