For 38 years children have watched Santa Claus fly into Princeton Airport.
This year, the Nierenberg family, owners of the airport, continue the tradition on Christmas Eve.
Santa is scheduled to arrive at 11 a.m. Dec. 24. Prior to his arrival, the Princeton Airport Flying Tigers are set to serve hot cocoa and cookies the airport’s hangar.
Local folk singer Pat McKinley is set to lead the audience in holiday songs during the wait for Santa.
Once Santa’s plane lands, he will head into the hangar. Children have the opportunity to sit on Santa’s lap for pictures.
Santa will also hand out presents that have been dropped off for children by their parents prior to the fly-in.
In order to participate in the distribution, parents must donate a new, unwrapped gift for the less fortunate. Donations from non-participants are accepted as well.
Nierenbergs’ plans to donate the gifts to the Mercer County Board of Social Services. The airport is also collecting canned or boxed food and monetary donations; checks can be made out to “FoodBank Network of Somerset County.”
For the Christmas Eve distribution, parents should drop of gifts, no larger than 12 inches, labeled in with their children’s’ names in large print at the Princeton Airport lobby. If parents have more than one child participating, the gifts should be wrapped in the same paper and tied together to speed up the distribution.
Gift and donation collection is set for Nov. 29 – Dec. 16. The gifts can be deposited in the “chimneys” in the lobby between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The Princeton Airport is at 41 Airpark Road, Princeton.
More information is online at princetonairport.com.
